Simone Bittencourt de Oliveira, better known as Simone, is a Brazilian singer and a major performer of Música Popular Brasileira (MPB) who has recorded more than 31 albums.
Simone was born on December 25, 1949 in Salvador, Bahia as the seventh daughter in a family of nine children. During her teenage years she was a professional basketball player and moved to São Paulo to become a member of the women's national basketball team. She studied in Santos (São Paulo), majoring in Physical Education.