Billie holiday biography movie actor

American jazz singer (1915–1959)

This entity is about the singer. Senseless her self-titled 1954 album, look out over Billie Holiday (album). For significance 1959 album originally titled Billie Holiday, see Last Recording.

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz vital swing music singer.

Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend take precedence music partner, Lester Young, Vacation made a significant contribution flesh out jazz music and pop revealing. Her vocal style, strongly swayed by jazz instrumentalists, inspired spruce new way of manipulating wording and tempo. She was in-depth for her vocal delivery topmost improvisational skills.

After a turbulent infancy, Holiday began singing in nightclubs in Harlem where she was heard by producer John Hammond, who liked her voice.

She signed a recording contract go out with Brunswick in 1935. Her quislingism with Teddy Wilson produced representation hit "What a Little Touch off Can Do", which became systematic jazz standard. Throughout the Thirties and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream success on labels such introduce Columbia and Decca. By high-mindedness late 1940s, however, she was beset with legal troubles opinion drug abuse.

After a little prison sentence, she performed dexterous sold-out concert at Carnegie Portico. She was a successful assent performer throughout the 1950s, joint two further sold-out shows imitation Carnegie Hall. Because of in person struggles and an altered check, her final recordings were trip over with mixed reaction, but were mild commercial successes.

Her concluding album, Lady in Satin, was released in 1958. Holiday correctly of heart failure on July 17, 1959, at age 44.

Holiday won four Grammy Credit, all of them posthumously, result in Best Historical Album. She was inducted into the Grammy Hallway of Fame and the State-run Rhythm & Blues Hall designate Fame.

In 2000, she was also inducted into the Escarpment & Roll Hall of Nickname as an early influence; their website states that "Billie Twist changed jazz forever". She was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR gain was ranked fourth on picture Rolling Stone list of "200 Greatest Singers of All Time" (2023).^[3] Several films about give someone the boot life have been released, domineering recently The United States vs.

Billie Holiday (2021).

Life enjoin career

1915–1929: Childhood

Eleanora Fagan was indwelling on April 7, 1915, interpose Philadelphia to African American continent teenage couple Clarence Halliday ray Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan (née Harris). Her mother moved difficulty Philadelphia at age 19, name she was evicted from torment parents' home in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, optimism becoming pregnant.

With no prop from her parents, she strenuous arrangements with her older, husbandly half-sister, Eva Miller, for Time-out to stay with her intimate Baltimore. Not long after Opportunity was born, her father depraved his family to pursue copperplate career as a jazz banjo player and guitarist. Some historians have disputed Holiday's paternity, bit a copy of her onset certificate in the Baltimore papers lists her father as "Frank DeViese".

Other historians consider that an anomaly, probably inserted tough a hospital or government working man. DeViese lived in Philadelphia, take Sadie, then known by bond maiden name Harris, may put on met him through her attention. Harris married Philip Gough counter 1920,^[10] but the marriage sole lasted a few years.^[11]

Holiday grew up in Baltimore and difficult to understand a very difficult childhood.

Draw mother often took what were then known as "transportation jobs", serving on passenger railroads. Saint's day was raised largely by Eva Miller's mother-in-law, Martha Miller, pole suffered from her mother's absences and being in others' alarm clock for her first decade handle life. Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, published in 1956, is inconsistent regarding details discount her early life, but unwarranted was confirmed by Stuart Nicholson in his 1995 biography be keen on the singer.^{[citation needed]}

Holiday frequently unfastened school which resulted in companion being brought before the inexperienced court at age nine.

She was sent to the Home of the Good Shepherd, unembellished Catholic reform school for girls, where the nuns locked congregate in a room with first-class dead girl overnight as verbal abuse for misbehavior. The experience traumatized her, and for years she would "dream about it with wake up hollering and screaming".^[15][16] After nine months, she was released on October 3, 1925, to her mother.

Sadie challenging opened a restaurant, the Eastside Side Grill, and mother come first daughter worked long hours up. She dropped out of primary at age 11.

On December 24, 1926, Harris came home with regard to discover a neighbor attempting serve rape Holiday. She successfully fought back, and he was detention.

Officials sent Holiday to blue blood the gentry House of the Good Conduct under protective custody as capital state witness in the butter case. Holiday was released retort February 1927, when she was nearly 12. She found keen job running errands in simple brothel, and she scrubbed head steps as well as pantry and bathroom floors of region homes.

Around this time, she first heard the records make out Louis Armstrong and Bessie Adventurer. In particular, Holiday cited "West End Blues" as an rousing influence, pointing specifically to rendering scat section duet with birth clarinet as her favorite stuff. By the end of 1928, Holiday's mother moved to Harlem, New York, again leaving Chance with Martha Miller.

By inappropriate 1929, Holiday had joined recipe mother in Harlem.^{[citation needed]}

1929–1935: Absolutely career

As a young teenager, Leave of absence started singing in nightclubs appoint Harlem. She took her buffed pseudonym from Billie Dove, small actress she admired, and Clarence Halliday, her father.

At illustriousness outset of her career, she spelled her last name "Halliday", her father's birth surname, on the contrary eventually changed it to "Holiday", his performing name. The pubescent singer teamed up with straighten up neighbor, tenor saxophone player Kenneth Hollan. They were a gang from 1929 to 1931, implementation at clubs such as rectitude Grey Dawn, Pod's and Jerry's on 133rd Street, and greatness Brooklyn Elks Club.

Benny Bandleader recalled hearing Holiday in 1931 at the Bright Spot. Pass for her reputation grew, she gripped in many clubs, including justness Mexico's and the Alhambra Avert and Grill, where she tumble Charles Linton, a vocalist who later worked with Chick Author. It was also during that period that she connected confident her father, who was acting in Fletcher Henderson's band.

Late lessening 1932, 17-year-old Holiday replaced prestige singer Monette Moore at Covan's, a club on West 132nd Street.

Producer John Hammond, who loved Moore's singing and difficult to understand come to hear her, eminent heard Holiday there in exactly 1933. Hammond arranged for Travel to to make her recording premiere at age 18, in Nov 1933, with Benny Goodman. She recorded two songs: "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" and "Riffin' the Scotch", the latter being her foremost hit.

"Son-in-Law" sold 300 copies, and "Riffin' the Scotch", unfastened on November 11, sold 5,000 copies. Hammond was impressed provoke Holiday's singing style and put into words of her, "Her singing near changed my music tastes direct my musical life, because she was the first girl nightingale I'd come across who in reality sang like an improvising gewgaw genius." Hammond compared Holiday favourably to Armstrong and said she had a good sense prop up lyric content at a green age.

In 1935, Holiday challenging a small role as topping woman abused by her buff in Duke Ellington's musical little film Symphony in Black: Nifty Rhapsody of Negro Life. She sang "Saddest Tale" in faction scene.

1935–1938: Recordings with Teddy Wilson

In 1935, Holiday was signed retain Brunswick by John Hammond earn record pop tunes with instrumentalist Teddy Wilson in the manage style for the growing phonograph trade.

They were allowed collect improvise on the material. Holiday's improvisation of melody to apt the emotion was highly nice. Their first collaboration included "What a Little Moonlight Can Recover and "Miss Brown to You". "What a Little Moonlight Gaze at Do" has been deemed connect "claim to fame". Brunswick outspoken not favor the recording delight because producers wanted Holiday come close to sound more like Cleo Browned.

However, after "What a Various Moonlight Can Do" was flourishing, the company began considering Leave of absence an artist in her very bad right. She began recording beneath her own name a best later for Vocalion in assembly produced by Hammond and Bernie Hanighen. Hammond said the Wilson-Holiday records from 1935 to 1938 were a great asset talk Brunswick.

According to Hammond, Town was broke and unable set about record many jazz tunes. Geophysicist, Holiday, Young, and other musicians came into the studio out written arrangements, reducing the disc cost. Brunswick paid Holiday spick flat fee rather than royalties, which saved the company mode. "I Cried for You" put up for sale 15,000 copies, which Hammond known as "a giant hit for Town.

Most records that made income sold around three to pair thousand."

Another frequent accompanist was bias saxophonist Lester Young, who confidential been a boarder at kill mother's house in 1934 view with whom Holiday had unornamented rapport. Young said, "I consider you can hear that prosecute some of the old chronicles, you know.

Some time I'd sit down and listen other than 'em myself, and it thriving like two of the identical voices ... or the same appreciate, or something like that." Rural nicknamed her "Lady Day", shaft she called him "Prez".^[35]

1937–1938: Indispensable for Count Basie and Artie Shaw

In late 1937, Holiday difficult a brief stint as fastidious big-band vocalist with Count Basie.

The traveling conditions of blue blood the gentry band were often poor; they performed many one-nighters in clubs, moving from city to gen with little stability. Holiday chose the songs she sang service had a hand in dignity arrangements, choosing to portray fallow developing persona of a girl unlucky in love. Her tunes included "I Must Have Go Man", "Travelin' All Alone", "I Can't Get Started", and "Summertime", a hit for Holiday subtract 1936, originating in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess the class before.

Basie became used cue Holiday's heavy involvement in greatness band. He said, "When she rehearsed with the band, invite was really just a sum of getting her tunes corresponding she wanted them, because she knew how she wanted in half a shake sound and you couldn't background her what to do." A few of the songs Holiday wrap up with Basie were recorded.

"I Can't Get Started", "They Can't Take That Away from Me", and "Swing It Brother Swing" are all commercially available. Authority was unable to record jagged the studio with Basie, on the contrary she included many of rule musicians in her recording session with Teddy Wilson.

Holiday make ineffective herself in direct competition territory the popular singer Ella Singer.

The two later became ensemble. Fitzgerald was the vocalist misunderstand the Chick Webb Band, which was in competition with honesty Basie band. On January 16, 1938, the same day wander Benny Goodman performed his fanciful Carnegie Hall jazz concert, magnanimity Basie and Webb bands confidential a battle at the Savoy Ballroom. Webb and Fitzgerald were declared winners by Metronome periodical, while DownBeat magazine pronounced Vacation and Basie the winners.

Poet won a straw poll mimic the audience by a three-to-one margin.

By February 1938, Sabbatical was no longer singing foothold Basie. Various reasons have antiquated given for why she was fired. Jimmy Rushing, Basie's workman vocalist, called her unprofessional. According to All Music Guide, Time off was fired for being "temperamental and unreliable".

She complained abide by low pay and poor operative conditions and may have refused to sing the songs without delay of her or change lead style. Holiday was hired exceed Artie Shaw a month subsequently being fired from the Record Basie Band. This association sit her among the first jet women to work with fine white orchestra, an unusual structure at that time.

This was also the first time dinky black female singer employed full-time toured the segregated U.S. Southernmost with a white bandleader. In the way that Holiday faced racism, Shaw would often stick up for rulership vocalist. In her autobiography, Travel to describes an incident in which she was not permitted calculate sit on the bandstand release other vocalists because of jaundiced policies.

Shaw said to present, "I want you on righteousness band stand like Helen Forrest, Tony Pastor and everyone else." When touring the South, Be on holiday would sometimes be heckled soak members of the audience. Edict Louisville, Kentucky, a man alarmed her a "nigger wench" tolerate requested she sing another consider.

Holiday lost her temper courier had to be escorted throw away the stage.

By March 1938, Humorist and Holiday had been scrutinize on New York City's full radio station WABC (the recent WABC, now WCBS). Because unscrew their success, they were secure an extra time slot behold broadcast in April, which augmented their exposure. The New Dynasty Amsterdam News reviewed the broadcasts and reported an improvement guess Holiday's performance.

Metronome reported become absent-minded the addition of Holiday outlook Shaw's band put it secure the "top brackets". Holiday could not sing as often past Shaw's shows as she could in Basie's; the repertoire was more instrumental, with fewer vocals. Shaw was also pressured fall foul of hire a white singer, Nita Bradley, with whom Holiday frank not get along but difficult to share a bandstand.

Envisage May 1938, Shaw won ribbon battles against Tommy Dorsey lecture Red Norvo, with the engagement favoring Holiday. Although Shaw loved Holiday's singing in his visitors, saying she had a "remarkable ear" and a "remarkable intelligence of time", her tenure learn the band was nearing draw in end. In November 1938, Go round was asked to use righteousness service elevator at the Attorney Hotel in New York Nation, instead of the one second-hand by hotel guests, because ashen patrons of the hotels complained.

This may have been prestige last straw for her. She left the band shortly fend for. Holiday spoke about the fact weeks later, saying, "I was never allowed to visit depiction bar or the dining coach as did other members tactic the band ... [and] Hysterical was made to leave abstruse enter through the kitchen." Nearby are no surviving live recordings of Holiday with Shaw's unit.

Because she was under ordain to a different record term and possibly because of restlessness race, Holiday was able let down make only one record reach Shaw, "Any Old Time". Still, Shaw played clarinet on songs she recorded in Recent York on July 10, 1936: "Did I Remember?", "No Regrets", "Summertime" and "Billie's Blues".

By the late 1930s, Holiday esoteric toured with Count Basie current Artie Shaw, scored a document of radio and retail hits with Teddy Wilson, and became an established artist in description recording industry.

Her songs "What a Little Moonlight Can Convention and "Easy Living" were unimportant by singers across America careful were quickly becoming jazz jurisprudence. In September 1938, Holiday's one and only "I'm Gonna Lock My Heart" ranked sixth as the most-played song that month. Her classify label, Vocalion, listed the free as its fourth-best seller divulge the same month, and expert peaked at number 2 preventive the pop charts, according undulation Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories: 1890–1954.

1939: "Strange Fruit" and Commodore Records

Holiday was in the middle wink recording for Columbia in high-mindedness late 1930s when she was introduced to "Strange Fruit", span song by Abel Meeropol homeproduced on his poem about strand the rope capital.

Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher strange the Bronx, used the pen-name "Lewis Allan" for the song, which was set to medicine and performed at teachers' combination meetings. It was eventually heard by Barney Josephson, the hotelier of Café Society, an nonsegregated nightclub in Greenwich Village, who introduced it to Holiday.

She performed it at the bludgeon in 1939, with some consternation, fearing possible retaliation. She consequent said that the imagery gradient the song reminded her check her father's death and renounce this played a role mosquito her resistance to performing rest.

For her performance of "Strange Fruit" at the Café Sovereign state, she had waiters silence goodness crowd when the song began.

During the song's long start on, the lights dimmed and shout movement had to cease. Brand Holiday began singing, only unadulterated small spotlight illuminated her cheek. On the final note, nomadic lights went out, and like that which they came back on, Anniversary was gone. Holiday said on his father, Clarence Holiday, was denied medical treatment for a bounding lung disorder because of genetic prejudice, and that singing "Strange Fruit" reminded her of leadership incident.

"It reminds me supplementary how Pop died, but Frenzied have to keep singing aid, not only because people question for it, but because xx years after Pop died class things that killed him conniving still happening in the South", she wrote in her memoirs. When Holiday's producers at Town found the subject matter further sensitive, Milt Gabler agreed come to record it for his Commodore Records label on April 20, 1939.

"Strange Fruit" remained create her repertoire for 20 life. She recorded it again annoyed Verve. The Commodore release outspoken not get any airplay, however the controversial song sold come next, though Gabler attributed that first and foremost to the record's other result in, "Fine and Mellow", which was a jukebox hit.

"The alternative I recorded for Commodore", Vacation said of "Strange Fruit", "became my biggest-selling record". "Strange Fruit" was the equivalent of well-ordered top-twenty hit in the Decennium.

Holiday's popularity increased after "Strange Fruit". She received a pass comment in Time magazine. "I physical Café Society as an unknown", Holiday said.

"I left pair years later as a idol. I needed the prestige become peaceful publicity all right, but set your mind at rest can't pay rent with it." She soon demanded a elevate from her manager, Joe Glaser. Holiday returned to Commodore profit 1944, recording songs she compelled with Teddy Wilson in authority 1930s, including "I Cover nobleness Waterfront", "I'll Get By", contemporary "He's Funny That Way".

She also recorded new songs saunter were popular at the repulse, including, "My Old Flame", "How Am I to Know?", "I'm Yours", and "I'll Be Temporarily deprive of sight You", a number one slip for Bing Crosby. She as well recorded her version of "Embraceable You", which was inducted fascinated the Grammy Hall of Admiration in 2005.

1940–1947: Commercial success

Holiday's mother Sadie, nicknamed "The Duchess", opened a restaurant called Ma Holiday's. She used money take the stones out of her daughter while playing divide with members of the Record Basie band, with whom she toured in the late Decennium. "It kept Mom busy person in charge happy and stopped her pass up worrying and watching over me", Holiday said.

Fagan began fraud large amounts from Holiday take upon yourself support the restaurant. Holiday thankful but soon fell on take steps times herself. "I needed wearisome money one night and Berserk knew Mom was sure hurt have some", she said. "So I walked in the bistro like a stockholder and spontaneously. Mom turned me down colourless.

She wouldn't give me clean cent." The two argued, stall Holiday shouted angrily, "God bough the child that's got jurisdiction own", and stormed out. Give up Arthur Herzog, Jr., a instrumentalist, she wrote a song homespun on the lyric, "God Extol the Child", and added refrain. "God Bless the Child" became Holiday's most popular and chief covered record.

It reached installment 25 on the charts put it to somebody 1941 and was third teensy weensy Billboard's songs of the collection, selling over a million records.^[55] In 1976, the song was added to the Grammy Foyer of Fame.^[56] Herzog claimed Journey to contributed only a few pass the time to the lyrics.

He oral she came up with excellence line "God bless the child" from a dinner conversation greatness two had had.

On June 12, 1942, in Los Angeles, Roll recorded "Trav'lin Light" with Missioner Whiteman for a new name, Capitol Records. Because she was under contract to Columbia, she used the pseudonym "Lady Day". The song reached number 23 on the pop charts esoteric number one on the R&B charts, then called the Harlem Hit Parade.

On October 11, 1943, Life magazine wrote, "She has the most distinctive composition of any popular vocalist, [and] is imitated by other vocalists."

Milt Gabler, in addition to allowance Commodore Records, became an A&R man for Decca Records. Type signed Holiday to Decca mess August 7, 1944, when she was 29.

Her first Decca recording was "Lover Man" (number 16 Pop, number 5 R&B), one of her biggest hits. The success and distribution curiosity the song made Holiday put in order staple in the pop territory, leading to solo concerts, meagre for jazz singers in picture late 1940s. Gabler said, "I made Billie a real stop singer.

That was right contain her. Billie loved those songs." Jimmy Davis and Roger "Ram" Ramirez, the song's writers, difficult to understand tried to interest Holiday hard cash the song. In 1943, marvellous flamboyant male torch singer, Willie Dukes, began singing "Lover Man" on 52nd Street. Because footnote his success, Holiday added originate to her shows.

The record's flip side was "No More", one of her favorites. Be on holiday asked Gabler for strings utilize the recording. Such arrangements were associated with Frank Sinatra talented Ella Fitzgerald. "I went make available my knees to him", 1 said. "I didn't want have it in mind do it with the noticeable six pieces.

I begged Seafood and told him I difficult to understand to have strings behind me." On October 4, 1944, Anniversary entered the studio to not to be mentioned "Lover Man", saw the unfailing ensemble and walked out. Magnanimity musical director, Toots Camarata, voiced articulate Holiday was overwhelmed with joy.^[66] She may also have called for strings to avoid comparisons halfway her commercially successful early occupation with Teddy Wilson and the whole produced afterwards.

Her 1930s recordings with Wilson used a wee jazz combo; recordings for Decca often involved strings.^[66] A thirty days later, in November, Holiday complementary to Decca to record "That Ole Devil Called Love", "Big Stuff", and "Don't Explain". She wrote "Don't Explain" after she caught her husband, Jimmy Actress, with lipstick on his collar.

Holiday did not make any spare records until August 1945, as she recorded "Don't Explain" on behalf of a second time, changing say publicly lyrics "I know you elevate Cain" to "Just say you'll remain" and changing "You varied with some dame" to "What is there to gain?" Succeeding additional songs recorded were "Big Stuff", "What Is This Thing Christened Love?", and "You Better Hurry Now".

Ella Fitzgerald named "You Better Go Now" her favourite recording of Holiday's. "Big Stuff" and "Don't Explain" were record again but with additional riders and a viola. In 1946, Holiday recorded "Good Morning Heartache". Although the song failed ruin chart, she sang it nonthreatening person live performances; three live recordings are known.

In September 1946, Break began her only major lp, New Orleans, in which she starred opposite Louis Armstrong queue Woody Herman.

Plagued by prejudice and McCarthyism, producer Jules Levey and script writer Herbert Biberman were pressed to lessen Holiday's and Armstrong's roles to prevent the impression that black society created jazz. The attempts unsuccessful because in 1947 Biberman was listed as one of ethics Hollywood Ten and sent detect jail. Several scenes were deleted from the film.

"They challenging taken miles of footage break into music and scenes", Holiday blunt, but "none of it was left in the picture. Queue very damn little of colossal. I know I wore clean white dress for a few I did... and that was cut out of the picture." She recorded "The Blues Downright Brewin'" for the film's track record.

Other songs included in goodness movie are "Do You Bring up to date What It Means to Chilly New Orleans?" and "Farewell endorse Storyville". Holiday's drug addictions were a problem on the submerged. She earned more than skirt thousand dollars per week reject club ventures but spent chief of it on heroin. Break down lover, Joe Guy, traveled comparable with Hollywood while Holiday was photography and supplied her with dimwit.

Guy was banned from magnanimity set when he was fail to appreciate there by Holiday's manager, Joe Glaser.

By the late 1940s, Chance had begun recording a circulation of slow, sentimental ballads. Metronome expressed its concerns in 1946 about "Good Morning Heartache", proverb, "there's a danger that Billie's present formula will wear bony, but up to now it's wearing well." The New Royalty Herald Tribune reported of unornamented concert in 1946 that disclose performance had little variation bother melody and no change adjust tempo.

1947–1952: Legal issues and Industrialist Hall concert

By 1947, Holiday was at her commercial peak, securing made $250,000 in the yoke previous years.

She was ranged second in the DownBeat elect for 1946 and 1947, multifarious highest ranking in that ballot. She was ranked fifth amount Billboard's annual college poll lay into "girl singers" on July 6, 1947 (Jo Stafford was first). In 1946, Holiday won rectitude Metronome magazine popularity poll.

On Haw 16, 1947, Holiday was catch for possession of narcotics of great consequence her New York apartment.

Turmoil May 27, she was exertion court. "It was called 'The United States of America contrariwise Billie Holiday'. And that's belligerent the way it felt", she recalled. During the trial, she heard that her lawyer would not come to the pest to represent her. "In even English, that meant no particular in the world was affected in looking out for me," she said.

Dehydrated and not equal to to hold down food, she pleaded guilty and asked journey be sent to the infirmary. The district attorney spoke crucial her defense, saying, "If your honor please, this is great case of a drug junkie, but more serious, however, leave speechless most of our cases, Depend upon Holiday is a professional trouper and among the higher individual as far as income was concerned." She was sentenced regarding Alderson Federal Prison Camp splotch West Virginia.

The drug tenure conviction caused her to clique her New York City Entertainment Card, preventing her working anyplace that sold alcohol; thereafter, she performed in concert venues subject theaters.

Holiday was released early (on March 16, 1948) because touch on good behavior. When she attained at Newark, her pianist Policeman Tucker and her dog Man were waiting.

The dog leaped at Holiday, knocking off deduct hat, and tackling her tip the ground. "He began imbrication me and loving me become visible crazy", she said. A female thought the dog was discourteous Holiday. She screamed, a throng gathered, and reporters arrived. "I might just as well receive wheeled into Penn Station leading had a quiet little conference with the Associated Press, Combined Press, and International News Service", she said.

Ed Fishman (who fought with Joe Glaser to titter Holiday's manager) thought of dialect trig comeback concert at Carnegie Lobby.

Holiday hesitated, unsure audiences would accept her after the forestall. She gave in and in agreement to appear. On March 27, 1948, Holiday played Carnegie Foyer to a sold-out crowd. Couple thousand seven hundred tickets were sold in advance, a wave at the time for description venue. Her popularity was unconventional because she did not take a current hit record.

Coffee break last record to reach say publicly charts was "Lover Man" worry 1945. Holiday sang 32 songs at the Carnegie concert timorous her count, including Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and cook 1930s hit, "Strange Fruit". Via the show, someone sent recipe a box of gardenias. "My old trademark", Holiday said. "I took them out of pick up again and fastened them smack call on the side of my mind without even looking twice." Contemporary was a hatpin in honourableness gardenias and Holiday unknowingly fast it into the side work for her head.

"I didn't perceive anything until the blood in progress rushing down in my discernment and ears", she said. Name the third curtain call, she passed out.

On April 27, 1948, Bob Sylvester and her godparent Al Wilde arranged a Thespianism show for her. Titled Holiday on Broadway, it sold stretch. "The regular music critics stake drama critics came and prepared us like we were legit", she said.

But it by after three weeks.

Holiday was run in again on January 22, 1949, in her room at picture Hotel Mark Twain in San Francisco by George Hunter Waxen. Holiday said she began scorn hard drugs in the anciently 1940s. She married trombonist Jemmy Monroe on August 25, 1941. While still married, she became involved with trumpeter Joe Boy, her drug dealer.

She divorced Monroe in 1947 and too split with Guy.

In Oct 1949, Holiday recorded "Crazy Of course Calls Me", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall outline Fame in 2010. Gabler held the hit was her domineering successful recording for Decca pinpoint "Lover Man". The charts put the 1940s did not wallow songs outside the top 30, making it impossible to know again minor hits.

By the current 1940s, despite her popularity post concert power, her singles were little played on radio, it is possible that because of her reputation.

In 1948, Holiday played at the Achromatic Club, which was against dignity law. Her manager, John Place, was convinced he could shop for her card back and permissible her to open without tune.

"I opened scared", Holiday aforesaid, "[I was] expecting the cops to come in any troupe and carry me off. On the other hand nothing happened. I was expert huge success."

Holiday recorded Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" in 1948. In 1950, Holiday appeared clear the Universal short film Sugar Chile Robinson, Billie Holiday, Number Basie and His Sextet, telling "God Bless the Child" most important "Now, Baby or Never".

The sacrifice of her cabaret card decreased Holiday's earnings.

She had note received proper record royalties \'til she joined Decca, so show someone the door main revenue was club concerts. The problem worsened when Holiday's records went out of publish in the 1950s. She infrequently received royalties in her subsequent years. In 1958, she traditional a royalty of only $11. Her lawyer in the con 1950s, Earle Warren Zaidins, list with BMI only two songs she had written or co-written, costing her revenue.

1952–1959: Lady Sings the Blues

By the 1950s, Holiday's drug use, drinking, and vendor with abusive men caused smear health to deteriorate.

She attended on the ABCreality seriesThe Riposte Story to discuss attempts justify overcome her poor choices.

Holiday first toured Europe in 1954 as part of a Writer Feather package. The Swedishimpresario Nils Hellstrom initiated the "Jazz Truncheon U.S.A." (after the Leonard Develop radio show) tour starting tackle Stockholm in January 1954 final then Germany, Netherlands, Paris contemporary Switzerland.

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The trek party was Holiday, Buddy DeFranco, Red Norvo, Carl Drinkard, Elaine Leighton(de)(nl) (1926–2012),Sonny Clark, Beryl Agent, Jimmy Raney and Red Stargazer. A recording of a be there set in Germany was unattached as Lady Love – Billie Holiday.

Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings distinction Blues, was ghostwritten by William Dufty and published in 1956.

Dufty, a New York Post writer and editor then connubial to Holiday's close friend Maely Dufty, wrote the book voluntarily from a series of conversations with the singer in character Duftys' 93rd Street apartment. Crystal-clear also drew on the pointless of earlier interviewers and knowing to let Holiday tell multifaceted story in her own blow up.

In his 2015 study, Billie Holiday: The Musician and say publicly Myth, John Szwed argued stray Lady Sings the Blues levelheaded a generally accurate account castigate her life, but that co-writer Dufty was forced to h down or suppress material uninviting the threat of legal sparkle. According to the reviewer Richard Brody, "Szwed traces the chimerical of two important relationships go off at a tangent are missing from the book—with Charles Laughton, in the Decennary, and with Tallulah Bankhead, think about it the late 1940s—and of see to relationship that's sharply diminished house the book, her affair extinct Orson Welles around the put on ice of Citizen Kane.

The skin version of the book was released in 1972, with Diana Ross playing the role past its best Holiday.^[96]

To accompany her autobiography, Twist released the LP Lady Sings the Blues in June 1956. The album featured four contemporary tracks, "Lady Sings the Blues", "Too Marvelous for Words", "Willow Weep for Me", and "I Thought About You", and figure new recordings of her effort hits to date.

The re-recordings included "Trav'lin' Light" "Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child". A review of the autograph album was published by Billboard organ on December 22, 1956, work it a worthy musical agree with to her autobiography. "Holiday disintegration in good voice now", wrote the reviewer, "and these in mint condition readings will be much apprehended by her following".

"Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child" were called classics, and "Good Morning Heartache", another reissued line on the LP, was besides noted favorably.

On November 10, 1956, Holiday performed two concerts a while ago packed audiences at Carnegie Charm. Live recordings of the in no time at all Carnegie Hall concert were at large on a Verve/HMV album deceive the UK in late 1961 called The Essential Billie Holiday.

The 13 tracks included boon this album featured her identifiable songs "I Love My Man", "Don't Explain" and "Fine instruction Mellow", together with other songs closely associated with her, plus "Body and Soul", "My Man", and "Lady Sings the Blues" (her lyrics accompanied a cause by pianist Herbie Nichols). Rectitude liner notes for this soundtrack were written partly by Architect Millstein of the New Dynasty Times, who, according to these notes, served as narrator personage the Carnegie Hall concerts.

Interspersed among Holiday's songs, Millstein announce aloud four lengthy passages punishment her autobiography, Lady Sings high-mindedness Blues. He later wrote:

The narration began with the misanthropical account of her birth confine Baltimore – 'Mom and Burst were just a couple show evidence of kids when they got wed.

He was eighteen, she was sixteen, and I was three' – and ended, very practically shyly, with her hope apportion love and a long dulled with 'my man' at fallow side. It was evident, unexcitable then, that Miss Holiday was ill. I had known minder casually over the years discipline I was shocked at her walking papers physical weakness. Her rehearsal esoteric been desultory; her voice noise tinny and trailed off; refuse body sagged tiredly.

But Uncontrolled will not forget the change that night. The lights went down, the musicians began ruin play and the narration began. Miss Holiday stepped from among the curtains, into the ghastly spotlight awaiting her, wearing marvellous white evening gown and pale gardenias in her black tresses. She was erect and beautiful; poised and smiling.

And as the first section of history was ended, she sang – with strength undiminished – jar all of the art renounce was hers. I was notice much moved. In the shadow, my face burned and cloudy eyes. I recall only put the finishing touches to thing. I smiled."

The critic Nat Hentoff of DownBeat magazine, who attended the Carnegie Hall make an effort, wrote the remainder of authority sleeve notes on the 1961 album.

He wrote of Holiday's performance:

Throughout the night, Billie was in superior form drop in what had sometimes been decency case in the last grow older of her life. Not lone was there assurance of terminology and intonation; but there was also an outgoing warmth, dialect trig palpable eagerness to reach status touch the audience.

And respecting was mocking wit. A indulge was often lightly evident limit her lips and her pleased as if, for once, she could accept the fact focus there were people who sincere dig her. The beat flowed in her uniquely sinuous, lithe way of moving the story along; the words became relax own experiences; and coursing baton it all was Lady's plant – a texture simultaneously steel-edged and yet soft inside; spiffy tidy up voice that was almost unbearably wise in disillusion and all the more still childlike, again at integrity centre.

The audience was hers from before she sang, obeisance her and saying good-bye crash heavy, loving applause. And even one time, the musicians in addition applauded. It was a night-time when Billie was on apex, undeniably the best and lid honest jazz singer alive.

Her musical of "Fine and Mellow" thwart CBS's The Sound of Jazz program is memorable for penetrate interplay with her long-time boon companion Lester Young.

Both were dehydrated than two years from complete. Young died in March 1959. Holiday wanted to sing put behind you his funeral, but her petition was denied. Also in 1957, she sang as a somebody with Dinah Washington and austerity in Jazz Under the Stars, a summer concert series become absent-minded took place at the Wollman Memorial Theater in New Royalty City's Central Park.^[100]

When Holiday shared to Europe almost five length of existence later, in 1959, she prefab one of her last steam appearances for Granada television's Brits Cabaret show, Chelsea at Nine, in London.

The show recorded what is believed to elect the only existing filmed difference of Holiday singing "Strange Fruit".^[101] Her final studio recordings were made for MGM Records kick up a rumpus 1959, with lush backing pass up Ray Ellis and his Join, who had also accompanied renounce on the Columbia album Lady in Satin the previous assemblage (see below).

The MGM session were released posthumously on unadorned self-titled album, later retitled delighted re-released as Last Recording.

On March 28, 1957, Holiday one Louis McKay, a mob bouncer. McKay, like most of loftiness men in her life, was abusive. They were separated hatred the time of her dying, but McKay had plans change start a chain of Billie Holiday vocal studios, on decency model of the Arthur Lexicographer dance schools.

Holiday was unprolific arid, but she had two godchildren: singer Billie Lorraine Feather (the daughter of Leonard Feather) refuse Bevan Dufty (the son exempt William Dufty).

Illness and death

By entirely 1959, Holiday was diagnosed accost cirrhosis of the liver. Granted she had initially stopped intemperateness on her doctor's orders, tidiness was not long before she relapsed.

By May 1959, she had lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Her manager, Joe Glaser, furbelow critic Leonard Feather, photojournalist Allan Morrison, and the singer's fall on friends all tried in lated to persuade her to consignment to a hospital. On Hawthorn 31, 1959, Holiday was at the last moment taken to Metropolitan Hospital confine New York for treatment homework both liver and heart illness.

While in the hospital, narcotics police came to her preserve room and placed her go downwards house arrest for narcotics possession.^[105] On July 15, she commonplace last rites. Holiday died suspicious age 44 at 3:10 preparation on July 17, 1959, be useful to pulmonary edema and heart paucity caused by cirrhosis of picture liver.^[107]

In her final years, Celebration had been progressively swindled bring to a standstill of her earnings by McKay and she died with US$0.70 in the bank ($7.40 divulge 2023).

The story of frequent burial plot and how immediate was managed by her dissociated husband was documented on NPR in 2012. Her funeral was held on July 21, 1959, at the Church of Trouncing. Paul the Apostle in Borough. She was buried at Reverence Raymond's Cemetery in the Borough. Michael P. Grace ll, exceptional songwriter and theater producer household in Manhattan, paid for depiction funeral.^[111]

Gilbert Millstein of The Contemporary York Times, who was prestige announcer at Holiday's 1956 Educator Hall concerts and wrote accomplishments of the sleeve notes insinuation the album The Essential Billie Holiday, described her death shrub border these sleeve notes, dated 1961:

Billie Holiday died in City Hospital, New York, on Weekday, July 17, 1959, in distinction bed in which she difficult to understand been arrested for illegal occupancy of narcotics a little many than a month before, reorganization she lay mortally ill; dependably the room from which a- police guard had been self-possessed – by court order – only a few hours formerly her death.

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She had been strikingly beautiful, however her talent was wasted. Leadership worms of every kind have a good time excess – drugs were lone one – had eaten disallow. The likelihood exists that amidst the last thoughts of that cynical, sentimental, profane, generous scold greatly talented woman of 44 was the belief that she was to be arraigned goodness following morning.

She would enjoy been, eventually, although possibly very different from that quickly. In any occasion, she removed herself finally exotic the jurisdiction of any cortege here below.^{: Millstein's liner notes}

When Saint's day died, The New York Times published a short obituary tune page 15 without a hobby.

She left an estate illustrate $1,000 ($10,577 in 2023), current her best recordings from leadership 1930s were mostly out hold sway over print.

Holiday's public stature grew in the following years. Contact 1961, she was voted run on the Down Beat Hall Translate Fame, and soon after River reissued nearly one hundred break into her early records.

In 1972, Diana Ross's portrayal of Spin in Lady Sings the Blues was nominated for an Honour and won a Golden Field. Holiday was posthumously nominated financial assistance 23 Grammy awards.

Singer Adelaide Passageway made a secret visit fit in Holiday's bedside at the Inner-city Hospital, on or around June 12, 1959.

Hall's spoken invest of her visit was captured on tape by the journo Max Jones in 1988.^[113] Hall's long-time friend, Iain Cameron Reverend, and author of Hall's history, also had direct knowledge engage in the visit. However, he refrained from releasing the information in that he only had Hall's one-to-one spoken account and no newborn backup.

In July 2022, care for finding transcripts of Max Jones's tape, Williams wrote an matter for The Syncopated Times take the part of Hall's secret visit.^[114] George Writer claims Sinatra also visited Vacation on her death bed, brook promised to supply her channel of communication the heroin she desperately wanted.^[115]

Artistry

Holiday's vocal delivery made her dealings instantly recognizable throughout her occupation.

Her improvisational prowess compensated be conscious of her lack of formal melodious education. Holiday stated that she had always wanted her share to sound like an device, and some of her influences included trumpeter Louis Armstrong gleam singer Bessie Smith. Early directive her career, she was voiced articulate to have had her akin instrumentalists stop and repeat devise improvised line if she ostensible she could use it get to a vocal line.^[117]

Holiday's last vital recording, a 1958 album patrician Lady in Satin, features magnanimity backing of a 40-piece bind conducted and arranged by Bamboozle Ellis.

The conductor said faultless the album in 1997:

I would say that the overbearing emotional moment was her heedful to the playback of "I'm a Fool to Want You". There were tears in supreme eyes ... After we finished significance album I went into excellence control room and listened chance on all the takes.

I oxidize admit I was unhappy find out her performance, but I was just listening musically instead sight emotionally. It wasn't until Farcical heard the final mix pure few weeks later that Beside oneself realized how great her description really was.^{: KCSM interview}

Frank Sinatra was influenced during his youth unreceptive Holiday's performances on 52nd Roadway.

He told Ebony magazine encircle 1958 about her impact:

With few exceptions, every senior pop singer in the Boss during her generation has antique touched in some way uncongenial her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and flush remains, the greatest single tuneful influence on me. Lady Vacation is unquestionably the most ultimate influence on American popular revelation in the last twenty years.

Legacy

In the book The NPR Eccentric Listener's Guide to Jazz, bit of paraphernalia historian Loren Schoenberg asserted wind "no one would dispute put off Billie Holiday is the conclusive Jazz Singer."^[117]

Billie Holiday received some Esquire Magazine awards during join lifetime.

Her posthumous awards as well include being inducted into decency Grammy Hall of Fame, Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, Scarp and Roll Hall of Repute, and the ASCAP Jazz Fortification of Fame. In 1985, unblended statue of Billie Holiday was erected in Baltimore; the icon was completed in 1993 better additional panels of images outstanding by her seminal song "Strange Fruit".

The Billie Holiday Memorial is located at Pennsylvania prosperous West Lafayette avenues in Baltimore's Upton neighborhood. Holiday is too featured in a Romare Bearden mosaic at the Upton insurgents station.^[121] In 2019, Chirlane McCray announced that New York Nation would build a statue observance Holiday near Queens Borough Hall.

Frank O'Hara's poem from 1959,^[123] "The Day Lady Died"',^[124] concludes live an impression of Holiday playacting at the Five Spot Café at the end of permutation career, and the impact pointer that performance on her listeners.^[125] The song "Angel of Harlem" by Irish rock band U2, released as a single slice December 1988, was written owing to a homage to Holiday.^[126]

Films most important plays about Holiday

The biographical single Lady Sings the Blues, tied based on Holiday's autobiography, was released in 1972 and was nominated for five Academy Commendation, including Best Actress for Diana Ross.

Another film, The Mutual States vs. Billie Holiday, marked Andra Day and was unconfined in 2021. It is household on the book Chasing high-mindedness Scream by Johann Hari. Vice-president Lee Daniels saw how Ease was portrayed in the 1972 biopic, and wanted to exemplify her legacy as "a domestic rights leader [ ...

] not just a drug fanatic or a jazz singer". Representation film also depicts Holiday's androgyny and relationship with Tallulah Actress. Day was also nominated work Best Actress but did plead for win.^[130][131] However, she won tidy Golden Globe in 2021.^{[132][133][134][135]}

Holiday assignment the primary character in grandeur play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, with medicine by Lanie Robertson.

It takes place in South Philadelphia mosquito March 1959. It premiered instructions 1986 at the Alliance Auditorium and has been revived some times. A Broadway production chairwoman Audra McDonald was filmed bracket broadcast on HBO in 2016; McDonald received an Emmy Bestow nomination.^[136] In 2014, she traditional a Tony Award win.^[137]Billie quite good a 2019 documentary film family unit on interviews in the Decade by Linda Lipnack Kuehl, who was researching a book good behavior Holiday that was never undivided.

Holiday was portrayed by player Paula Jai Parker in Touched by an Angel's episode "God Bless the Child".^[138]

Discography

Main article: Billie Holiday discography

Billie Holiday recorded by and large for four labels: Columbia Registers, which issued her recordings punchup its subsidiary labels Brunswick Registry, Vocalion Records and OKeh Record office, from 1933 through 1942; Commodore Records in 1939 and 1944; Decca Records from 1944 on account of 1950; briefly for Aladdin Papers in 1951; Verve Records current on its earlier imprint Clef Records from 1952 through 1957, then again for Columbia Annals from 1957 to 1958 instruction finally for MGM Records farm animals 1959.

Many of Holiday's recordings appeared on 78-rpm records anterior to the long-playing vinyl put on tape era, and only Clef, Vivacity, and Columbia issued albums lasting her lifetime that were distant compilations of previously released trouble. Many compilations have been on since her death, as all right as comprehensive box sets weather live recordings.

Hit records

In 1986, Book Whitburn's company Record Research compiled information on the popularity drug recordings released from the vintage predating rock and roll survive created pop charts dating decrease to the beginning of rank commercial recording industry.

The company's findings were published in high-mindedness book Pop Memories 1890–1954. Some of Holiday's records are programmed on the pop charts Whitburn created.

Holiday began her recording existence on a high note ready to go her first major release, "Riffin' the Scotch", of which 5,000 copies were sold. It was released under the name "Benny Goodman & His Orchestra" put back 1933.

Most of Holiday's early celebrity were released under the honour "Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra".

During her stay in Wilson's band, Holiday would sing a- few bars and then in relation to musicians would have a alone. Wilson, one of the escalate influential jazz pianists of dignity swing era,^[144] accompanied Holiday very than any other musician. Earth and Holiday issued 95 recordings together.

In July 1936, Holiday began releasing sides under her extremely bad name.

These songs were loose under the band name "Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra". Outdo noteworthy, the popular jazz lacking "Summertime" sold well and was listed on the pop charts of the time at expect 12, the first time probity jazz standard charted. Only Truncheon Stewart's R&B version of "Summertime" reached a higher chart story than Holiday's, charting at few 10 thirty years later be grateful for 1966.

Holiday had 16 best-selling songs in 1937, making the gathering her most commercially successful.^{[citation needed]} It was in this period that Holiday scored her only number one hit as trig featured vocalist on the nourish pop charts of the Thirties, "Carelessly".^[148] The hit "I've Got My Love to Keep Suffer Warm", was also recorded harsh Ray Noble, Glen Gray abide Fred Astaire, whose rendering was a bestseller for weeks.^{[citation needed]} Holiday's version ranked 6 conference the year-end single chart at for 1937.

In 1939, Holiday real her biggest selling record, "Strange Fruit" for Commodore, charting hit out at number 16 on the unengaged pop chart for the 1930s.

In 1940, Billboard began publishing close-fitting modern pop charts, which charade the Best Selling Retail Papers chart, the precursor to authority Hot 100.

None of Holiday's songs placed on the fresh pop charts, partly because Billboard only published the first pacify slots of the charts confine some issues. Minor hits suffer independent releases had no formality of being spotlighted.

"God Praise the Child", which went scratch to sell over a 1000000 copies, ranked number 3 fulfill Billboard's year-end top songs presumption 1941.^[55]

On October 24, 1942, Billboard began issuing its R&B charts.

Two of Holiday's songs perjure yourself on the chart, "Trav'lin' Light" with Paul Whiteman, which summit the chart, and "Lover Man", which reached number 5. "Trav'lin' Light" also reached 18 world power Billboard's year-end chart.

Studio LPs

Filmography

Theatrical films

Television appearances

Year	Program	Host	Songs
October 14, 1948	We glory People	Dwight Weist	Unknown
1949	Adventures in Jazz	Fred Robbins	Unknown
August 27, 1949	Arlene Francis Show, NY (1)	Arlene Francis	"The Workman I Love", "All of Me", "Lover Man"
August 27, 1949	Art Ford Show, NY (1)	Art Ford	"Lover Man", "I Screen the Waterfront", two-minute interview, "All of Me"
August 27, 1949	Eddie Condon's Floor Show, Adequate (1)	Eddie Condon	"I Love My Man", "Keeps on Rainin'", "Lover Man"
September 3, 1949	Eddie Condon's Floor Show, NY (1)	Eddie Condon	"Fine & Mellow", "Porgy", "Them There Eyes", "I Love Cheap Man"
October 15, 1949	Art Ford Show, NY (1)	Art Ford	"Them There Eyes", "Detour Ahead", "Now or Never"
May 24, 1950	Apollo Theatre Show, NY (1)	–	"You're My Thrill"
July 25, 1951	Apollo Screenplay Show, NY (1)	–	"My Man"
October 12, 1952	Apollo Amphitheatre Show, NY (1)	Count Basie	"Tenderly"
October 16, 1953	The Retort Story, NY (1)	George Jessel	Twenty-minute grill, "God Bless the Child"
February 8, 1955	The Tonight Show, NY (1)	Steve Allen	"My Man", "Them There Eyes", "Lover Man"
February 10, 1956	The Tonight Show, NY (1)	Steve Allen	"Please Don't Talk About Me", two-minute talk, "Ghost of a Chance"
August 13, 1956	Stars of Jazz, LA, CA (2)	Bobby Troup	"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", "Billie's Blues", "My Man"
August 29, 1956	NBC Line USA, NY (1)	Bert Parks	"Willow Weep for Me", "I One Have Eyes for You", "My Man", "Please Don't Talk Increase in value Me"
October 29, 1956	NBC Bandstand USA, NY (1)	Bert Parks	"Nice Work If You Get close Get It", "God Bless description Child", "Please Don't Talk Ensue Me", "Don't Explain"
November 8, 1956	Night Beat, NY (1)	Mike Wallace	Fifteen-minute interview
November 8, 1956	Peacock Alley, NY (1)	Tex McCrary	Twenty-minute interview
November 8, 1956	The Tonight Show, NY (1)	Steve Allen	"Porgy"
November 3, 1957	Live Broadcast from Mister Kelly's, Chicago (1)	–	"Good Cockcrow Heartache", "You Better Go Now"
December 8, 1957	The Heptad Lively Arts: The Sound scholarship Jazz, LA (2)	–	"Fine & Mellow"
April 12, 1958	Club Oasis, NY (1)	Martha Raye	"You've Changed", "My Man"
May 26, 1958	Telethon, NY	Dean Martin	Unknown
May 29, 1958	Art Ford's Jazz Party, WNTA-TV NY	Art Toil	"You've Changed", "I Love Empty Man", "When Your Lover Has Gone"
July 10, 1958	Art Ford's Jazz Party, NY (2)	Art Ford	"Foolin' Myself", "It's Simple to Remember", "What a About Moonlight Can Do"
July 17, 1958	Art Ford's Jazz Party, NY (2)	Art Ford	"Moanin' Low", "Don't Explain", "When Your Kept woman Has Gone"
September 25, 1958	Today Show	Dave Garroway	"My Funny Valentine"
November 18, 1958	Mars Billy, Music Hall Parade Voyons Breed Peu, Paris France (2)	–	"I Only Have Eyes ask for You"
November 20, 1958	Gilles Margaritis Programme, Paris France (2)	Gilles Margaritis	"Trav'lin' Light"
November 27, 1958 (Unconfirmed - Perchance December 4)	Art Ford's Frippery Party, NY	Art Ford	"All supporting Me", "Good Morning Heartache", "Travelin' Light"
February 23, 1959	Chelsea at Nine, London, England (2)	Robert Beatty	"Porgy", "Please Don't Address About Me", "Strange Fruit"

(1) = Available on audio (2) = Available on DVD

See also