Dame Lisa Simone Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has inducted vocalist, actress, and U.S. Air Force veteran Dame Lisa Simone as an Honorary Member. The sorority announced the induction today, Friday, July 24, 2026, during its 61st Biennial Boule in Tampa, Florida.

Dame Lisa Simone is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer, composer, and author, and the only child of the legendary musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone. Carrying forward her family’s tradition of storytelling through music, she has built an acclaimed international career and released solo albums including Simone on Simone, All Is Well, My World, and In Need of Love. She has performed at venues around the world, among them Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House, and the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Simone’s talents have also carried her to the stage. She performed on and off Broadway in productions including Rent, The Lion King, Aida, and Les Misérables, earning a Helen Hayes Award and a Jefferson Award for her work in Rent and a National Theatre Award for her performance in Aida. Before her life in the arts, she served more than a decade in the United States Air Force as an engineering assistant, stationed in the United States, South Korea, and Germany, and is a veteran of the Gulf War.

Simone is also an award-recognized producer. She served as an executive producer of the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone?, the acclaimed film about her mother’s life and legacy, which earned an Academy Award nomination along with Peabody and Emmy recognition. Her global work has brought her additional honors, including being named a Knight of France and Queen Mother of the Denkyra Nation in Ghana, distinctions that speak to her humanitarian work and cultural stewardship across continents.

Simone was inducted as part of Sigma Gamma Rho’s Honorary Membership Class of 2026, a group of women recognized during the 2026 Boule Honorary Membership Ceremony for achievements spanning sports, entertainment, education, public service, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and global humanitarian work.

The ceremony took place as Sigma Gamma Rho gathered in Tampa, Florida, for its 61st Biennial Boule under International President Marica T. Harris. In announcing the class, Harris said the 2026 honorees “embody the spirit of service, the power of purpose,” carrying forward the sorority’s mission of Greater Service, Greater Progress.

We at Watch The Yard would like to congratulate Dame Lisa Simone on her induction as an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

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