Nina Simone's Daughter Sues Her Own Father Over Jazz Singer's Estate

By Suzanne Stathatos Wed., Jul. 11 2012 at 12:58 PM

Categories: Law & Order

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

If you think you've got family problems, read this.

The daughter of jazz artist Nina Simone is in the process of suing her father for $155 million, and she asked the Federal Court to intervene.

Lisa Simone Kelly claims that Andrew Stroud, her father and Simone's ex-husband, wrongfully obtained and transferred items belonging to her late mother's estate, which Kelly now legally owns, according to a lawsuit filed in San Francisco. These items include master recordings, personal diaries, letters, and other personal possessions. Many of these items were allegedly sold for zilch -- as in $0.00 -- to Wally Roker, founder and owner of ICU Ent. Dist., also known as Wally Roker Music.

Stroud and Simone were married from 1961-71, during which time they had Lisa. Along with being a parent and a husband, Stroud was also Nina Simone's manager, agent, producer, and while working for ASI Records.

Litigation began between father and daughter in 2008, when Kelly filed her first complaint against Stroud for his allegedly fraudulent transfer of Simone's musical property to ASI. Courthouse News reports that "Stroud has exercised such dominion and control over ASI that ASI has no separate will of its own. Stroud used his dominion and control of ASI to effect the fraudulent transfers of these valuable assets between them."

This initial case was dismissed, after which Kelly claims that Stroud played his next move in this "shell game." He transferred his most valuable assets to Roker. This prevented the jazz singer's estate from including any of those items.

Kelly is suing her father for $155 million, which she says is about what she has spent on court costs and attorneys' fees, and includes the amount of Simone's appraised assets. Kelly also wants a full accounting of the items in question, proceeds, transfers and deposits, and a restraining order to prevent Stroud and Roker from profiting from her mother's assets.

And just to end this story on a foreboding note: