Thelonious and the women around him

As a North Carolina native, Thelonious Monk was surrounded and influenced by southern morals. With his arrival in New York in 1922 he was surrounded by his mother as siblings in an environment that was nothing like North Carolina, “North Carolina summers were nothing like the thick, humid, dirty, congested heat of New York City. Barbara Monk was giving up fresh country air, her house on

Green Avenue

with the porch and backyard, her familiar surroundings, and her friends and family for a tiny tenement apartment in the summer heat. It was worth it for the schools, and for the future jobs for her children. But it wasn’t easy” (Kelley 15). Now as a single parent upon arrival to the city, Barbara Monk held study jobs, her children were able to get a proper education all while instilling morals and encouraging her children to be free thinkers, “Barbara had indeed raised her children with very strong morals, but she was not a strict disciplinarian. She kept her children in line by relying on reason, faith, example, and her quiet, dignified strength. Unlike her husband, she did not believe in corporate punishment and she encouraged her children to be free-spirited, vocal, and opinionated, albeit respectful” (Kelley 22). As his mother, Barbara played such an influential part in Thelonious life-it was inevitable that the women to follow would play such a powerful role in ensuring his success as well as safety as a musical artist.

            According to both Robin Kelley and Clint Eastwood, the women in Thelonious life such as his wife Nellie and his most loyal friend Nica both played a nurturing almost mothering role to Thelonious. Both book and film noted Nellie as being Thelonious back bone on and off touring, and Nellie was credited as providing him with a sense of security that would ease him in and out of his sudden onset of depression episodes, “Thelonious insisted that Nellie accompany him for the first couple of weeks in case he became restless and emotionally off-balanced” (Kelley 229). As in the film Nellie was in control of his money, clothing and simply making sure Thelonious had whatever accommodation he needed while on the road. As Thelonious planned on several occasions to move to Africa to stay with his friend Guy Warren, Nellie was there to simply reassuring Guy that this notion may not be the best situation for Thelonious, “You know how he is. I have to take care of him. His Clothing, his food, his this and that…” (Kelley 245). As his wife and mother of his children and occasional caregiver to Thelonious, Nellie embraced his friendship with Nica, who was able to take over when Nellie herself was not available, “The band was scheduled to open Tuesday night, October 15. Nellie had planned to drive down to Baltimore with Monk but had to cancel at the last minute, So Nica volunteered” (Kelley 253). As in the film as well as in the book Nica home became a second home to Thelonious, one where Thelonious would have jam sessions as well as recording session.

            Seen as early as the foundation of his childhood, with his mother playing such a tremendous role in his young life, Thelonious lend heavenly on the women that followed such as his wife Nellie and friend Nica for support. With a high level of respect for the women in his life, they in many cases became the inspiration for his songs as well as titles for such tracks. As stated in both the book and film, Thelonious may not have been what he is known for today with out the help of such women in his life and more specifically Nellie, who had to make life changing sacrifices such as sending her kids to stay with their Aunt as she became too occupied with Thelonious after his mental breakdown.