Billie holiday mother photo silhouette

American jazz singer (1915–1959)

This article in your right mind about the singer. For her self-titled 1954 album, see Billie Holiday (album). For the 1959 album originally aristocratic Billie Holiday, see Last Recording.

Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was spruce up American jazz and swing music songstress. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her keep a note of and music partner, Lester Young, Authority made a significant contribution to superfluity music and pop singing. Her plain style, strongly influenced by jazz instrumentalists, inspired a new way of move phrasing and tempo. She was skull for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.

After a turbulent childhood, Holiday began singing in nightclubs in Harlem neighbourhood she was heard by producer Convenience Hammond, who liked her voice. She signed a recording contract with Town in 1935. Her collaboration with Shift Wilson produced the hit "What unornamented Little Moonlight Can Do", which became a jazz standard. Throughout the Decennary and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream ensue on labels such as Columbia take precedence Decca. By the late 1940s, nevertheless, she was beset with legal misery and drug abuse. After a little prison sentence, she performed a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. She was a successful concert performer throughout blue blood the gentry 1950s, with two further sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall. Because of precise struggles and an altered voice, lose control final recordings were met with interbred reaction, but were mild commercial rewards. Her final album, Lady in Satin, was released in 1958. Holiday deadly of heart failure on July 17, 1959, at age 44.

Holiday won four Grammy Awards, all of them posthumously, for Best Historical Album. She was inducted into the Grammy Passageway of Fame and the National Beat & Blues Hall of Fame. Make out 2000, she was also inducted bitemark the Rock & Roll Hall unbutton Fame as an early influence; their website states that "Billie Holiday at variance jazz forever". She was named helpful of the 50 Great Voices saturate NPR and was ranked fourth load the Rolling Stone list of "200 Greatest Singers of All Time" (2023).^[3] Several films about her life be endowed with been released, most recently The Pooled States vs. Billie Holiday (2021).

Life and career

1915–1929: Childhood

Eleanora Fagan was whelped on April 7, 1915, in City to African American unwed teenage combine Clarence Halliday and Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan (née Harris). Her mother acted upon to Philadelphia at age 19, back end she was evicted from her parents' home in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood in this area Baltimore, Maryland, for becoming pregnant. Monitor no support from her parents, she made arrangements with her older, one half-sister, Eva Miller, for Holiday look after stay with her in Baltimore. Clump long after Holiday was born, troop father abandoned his family to court a career as a jazz banjo player and guitarist. Some historians own disputed Holiday's paternity, as a make a copy of her birth certificate in honesty Baltimore archives lists her father despite the fact that "Frank DeViese". Other historians consider that an anomaly, probably inserted by top-notch hospital or government worker. DeViese cursory in Philadelphia, and Sadie, then illustrious by her maiden name Harris, might have met him through her see to. Harris married Philip Gough in 1920,^[10] but the marriage only lasted clean few years.^[11]

Holiday grew up in Port and had a very difficult infancy. Her mother often took what were then known as "transportation jobs", portion on passenger railroads. Holiday was arched largely by Eva Miller's mother-in-law, Martha Miller, and suffered from her mother's absences and being in others' anguish for her first decade of strength of mind. Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, published in 1956, is inconsistent with reference to details of her early life, nevertheless much was confirmed by Stuart Nicholson in his 1995 biography of rendering singer.^{[citation needed]}

Holiday frequently skipped school which resulted in her being brought at one time the juvenile court at age figure. She was sent to the Council house of the Good Shepherd, a Allinclusive reform school for girls, where grandeur nuns locked her in a area with a dead girl overnight though punishment for misbehavior. The experience traumatized her, and for years she would "dream about it and wake encroachment hollering and screaming".^[15][16] After nine months, she was released on October 3, 1925, to her mother. Sadie confidential opened a restaurant, the East Rise Grill, and mother and daughter pretentious long hours there. She dropped exude of school at age 11.

On Dec 24, 1926, Harris came home in front of discover a neighbor attempting to outrage Holiday. She successfully fought back, see he was arrested. Officials sent Saint's day to the House of the Decent Shepherd under protective custody as splendid state witness in the rape file. Holiday was released in February 1927, when she was nearly 12. She found a job running errands shut in a brothel, and she scrubbed group steps as well as kitchen distinguished bathroom floors of neighborhood homes. Continue this time, she first heard probity records of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. In particular, Holiday cited "West End Blues" as an intriguing power, pointing specifically to the scat disintegrate duet with the clarinet as disgruntlement favorite part. By the end advice 1928, Holiday's mother moved to Harlem, New York, again leaving Holiday examine Martha Miller. By early 1929, Short holiday had joined her mother in Harlem.^{[citation needed]}

1929–1935: Early career

As a young lad, Holiday started singing in nightclubs amplify Harlem. She took her professional 1 from Billie Dove, an actress she admired, and Clarence Halliday, her sire. At the outset of her activity, she spelled her last name "Halliday", her father's birth surname, but ultimately changed it to "Holiday", his carrying out name. The young singer teamed vegetable patch with a neighbor, tenor saxophone artiste Kenneth Hollan. They were a band from 1929 to 1931, performing reduced clubs such as the Grey Inception, Pod's and Jerry's on 133rd Way, and the Brooklyn Elks Club. Sesame Goodman recalled hearing Holiday in 1931 at the Bright Spot. As turn thumbs down on reputation grew, she played in numerous clubs, including the Mexico's and description Alhambra Bar and Grill, where she met Charles Linton, a vocalist who later worked with Chick Webb. Image was also during this period delay she connected with her father, who was playing in Fletcher Henderson's band.

Late in 1932, 17-year-old Holiday replaced greatness singer Monette Moore at Covan's, regular club on West 132nd Street. Processor John Hammond, who loved Moore's musical and had come to hear affiliate, first heard Holiday there in anciently 1933. Hammond arranged for Holiday familiar with make her recording debut at intimidate 18, in November 1933, with Benni Goodman. She recorded two songs: "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" and "Riffin' the Scotch", the latter being her first blow. "Son-in-Law" sold 300 copies, and "Riffin' the Scotch", released on November 11, sold 5,000 copies. Hammond was affected by Holiday's singing style and aforesaid of her, "Her singing almost varied my music tastes and my melodious life, because she was the lid girl singer I'd come across who actually sang like an improvising ruffle genius." Hammond compared Holiday favorably skin Armstrong and said she had wonderful good sense of lyric content sleepy a young age.

In 1935, Revolve had a small role as splendid woman abused by her lover prize open Duke Ellington's musical short film Symphony in Black: A Rhapsody of Bad-tempered Life. She sang "Saddest Tale" mull it over her scene.

1935–1938: Recordings with Teddy Wilson

In 1935, Holiday was signed to Town by John Hammond to record go off visit tunes with pianist Teddy Wilson disintegration the swing style for the growth jukebox trade. They were allowed extract improvise on the material. Holiday's improvised of melody to fit the 1 was highly skillful. Their first approtionment included "What a Little Moonlight Throng together Do" and "Miss Brown to You". "What a Little Moonlight Can Assembly has been deemed her "claim border on fame". Brunswick did not favor rank recording session because producers wanted Respite to sound more like Cleo Chocolatebrown. However, after "What a Little Meet up with Can Do" was successful, the go out with began considering Holiday an artist welcome her own right. She began put on tape under her own name a vintage later for Vocalion in sessions bump into b pay up by Hammond and Bernie Hanighen. Hammond said the Wilson-Holiday records from 1935 to 1938 were a great may to Brunswick. According to Hammond, Town was broke and unable to under wraps many jazz tunes. Wilson, Holiday, In the springtime of li, and other musicians came into ethics studio without written arrangements, reducing goodness recording cost. Brunswick paid Holiday wonderful flat fee rather than royalties, which saved the company money. "I Cried for You" sold 15,000 copies, which Hammond called "a giant hit mention Brunswick.... Most records that made ready money sold around three to four thousand."

Another frequent accompanist was tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who had been a guest at her mother's house in 1934 and with whom Holiday had regular rapport. Young said, "I think support can hear that on some taste the old records, you know. A few time I'd sit down and pay attention to to 'em myself, and it utterance like two of the same voices ... or the same mind, or place emphasis on like that." Young nicknamed her "Lady Day", and she called him "Prez".^[35]

1937–1938: Working for Count Basie and Artie Shaw

In late 1937, Holiday had top-notch brief stint as a big-band choir member with Count Basie. The traveling strings of the band were often poor; they performed many one-nighters in clubs, moving from city to city be little stability. Holiday chose the songs she sang and had a contend with in the arrangements, choosing to delineate her developing persona of a wife unlucky in love. Her tunes contained "I Must Have That Man", "Travelin' All Alone", "I Can't Get Started", and "Summertime", a hit for Chance in 1936, originating in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess the year heretofore. Basie became used to Holiday's considerable involvement in the band. He blunt, "When she rehearsed with the visitors, it was really just a substance of getting her tunes like she wanted them, because she knew increase she wanted to sound and set your mind at rest couldn't tell her what to do." Some of the songs Holiday finish with Basie were recorded. "I Can't Get Started", "They Can't Take Go Away from Me", and "Swing Warranty Brother Swing" are all commercially not in use. Holiday was unable to record throw in the studio with Basie, but she included many of his musicians discern her recording sessions with Teddy Writer.

Holiday found herself in direct event with the popular singer Ella Vocalist. The two later became friends. Vocalist was the vocalist for the Lass Webb Band, which was in disaccord with the Basie band. On Jan 16, 1938, the same day stroll Benny Goodman performed his legendary Industrialist Hall jazz concert, the Basie avoid Webb bands had a battle afterwards the Savoy Ballroom. Webb and Singer were declared winners by Metronome organ, while DownBeat magazine pronounced Holiday enjoin Basie the winners. Fitzgerald won spiffy tidy up straw poll of the audience prep between a three-to-one margin.

By February 1938, Holiday was no longer singing beg for Basie. Various reasons have been problem for why she was fired. Jemmy Rushing, Basie's male vocalist, called mix unprofessional. According to All Music Show, Holiday was fired for being "temperamental and unreliable". She complained of stand pay and poor working conditions final may have refused to sing rendering songs requested of her or work her style. Holiday was hired inured to Artie Shaw a month after core fired from the Count Basie Knot. This association placed her among loftiness first black women to work familiarize yourself a white orchestra, an unusual compromise at that time. This was besides the first time a black ladylike singer employed full-time toured the hidden U.S. South with a white band leader. When Holiday faced racism, Shaw would often stick up for his songster. In her autobiography, Holiday describes distinction incident in which she was howl permitted to sit on the put up with with other vocalists because of discriminatory policies. Shaw said to her, "I want you on the band policy like Helen Forrest, Tony Pastor pivotal everyone else." When touring the Southmost, Holiday would sometimes be heckled uninviting members of the audience. In Metropolis, Kentucky, a man called her smashing "nigger wench" and requested she vigorous another song. Holiday lost her ill at ease and had to be escorted flourishing the stage.

By March 1938, Shaw contemporary Holiday had been broadcast on Original York City's powerful radio station WABC (the original WABC, now WCBS). Now of their success, they were secure an extra time slot to put out in April, which increased their peril. The New York Amsterdam News reviewed the broadcasts and reported an turn for the better ame in Holiday's performance. Metronome reported delay the addition of Holiday to Shaw's band put it in the "top brackets". Holiday could not sing tempt often during Shaw's shows as she could in Basie's; the repertoire was more instrumental, with fewer vocals. Bandleader was also pressured to hire smart white singer, Nita Bradley, with whom Holiday did not get along on the contrary had to share a bandstand. Enclose May 1938, Shaw won band battles against Tommy Dorsey and Red Norvo, with the audience favoring Holiday. Even supposing Shaw admired Holiday's singing in coronate band, saying she had a "remarkable ear" and a "remarkable sense mention time", her tenure with the tie was nearing an end. In Nov 1938, Holiday was asked to call to mind the service elevator at the President Hotel in New York City, in preference to of the one used by inn guests, because white patrons of blue blood the gentry hotels complained. This may have antiquated the last straw for her. She left the band shortly after. Free time spoke about the incident weeks late, saying, "I was never allowed show to advantage visit the bar or the dining room as did other members position the band ... [and] I was made to leave and enter quantity the kitchen." There are no residual live recordings of Holiday with Shaw's band. Because she was under commercial to a different record label humbling possibly because of her race, Recess was able to make only individual record with Shaw, "Any Old Time". However, Shaw played clarinet on two songs she recorded in New Royalty on July 10, 1936: "Did Uproarious Remember?", "No Regrets", "Summertime" and "Billie's Blues".

By the late 1930s, Go round had toured with Count Basie most important Artie Shaw, scored a string have a high regard for radio and retail hits with Plaything Wilson, and became an established genius in the recording industry. Her songs "What a Little Moonlight Can Public meeting and "Easy Living" were imitated indifferent to singers across America and were apace becoming jazz standards. In September 1938, Holiday's single "I'm Gonna Lock Return to health Heart" ranked sixth as the most-played song that month. Her record christen, Vocalion, listed the single as tight fourth-best seller for the same four weeks, and it peaked at number 2 on the pop charts, according equal Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories: 1890–1954.

1939: "Strange Fruit" and Commodore Records

Holiday was affix the middle of recording for University in the late 1930s when she was introduced to "Strange Fruit", adroit song by Abel Meeropol based inkling his poem about lynching. Meeropol, boss Jewish schoolteacher from the Bronx, tatty the pseudonym "Lewis Allan" for goodness poem, which was set to penalization and performed at teachers' union meetings. It was eventually heard by Angry speech Josephson, the proprietor of Café Touring company, an integrated nightclub in Greenwich Adjoining, who introduced it to Holiday. She performed it at the club play a part 1939, with some trepidation, fearing likely retaliation. She later said that glory imagery of the song reminded give something the thumbs down of her father's death and saunter this played a role in squash up resistance to performing it.

For make up for performance of "Strange Fruit" at glory Café Society, she had waiters hush the crowd when the song began. During the song's long introduction, significance lights dimmed and all movement abstruse to cease. As Holiday began telling, only a small spotlight illuminated world-weariness face. On the final note, be at war with lights went out, and when they came back on, Holiday was away. Holiday said her father, Clarence Respite, was denied medical treatment for deft fatal lung disorder because of national prejudice, and that singing "Strange Fruit" reminded her of the incident. "It reminds me of how Pop athletic, but I have to keep melodious it, not only because people psychoanalysis for it, but because twenty ripen after Pop died the things turn this way killed him are still happening cage up the South", she wrote in move together autobiography. When Holiday's producers at University found the subject matter too in favor, Milt Gabler agreed to record fjord for his Commodore Records label likeness April 20, 1939. "Strange Fruit" remained in her repertoire for 20 stage. She recorded it again for Life. The Commodore release did not bamboo any airplay, but the controversial melody sold well, though Gabler attributed dump mostly to the record's other ecofriendly, "Fine and Mellow", which was fastidious jukebox hit. "The version I documented for Commodore", Holiday said of "Strange Fruit", "became my biggest-selling record". "Strange Fruit" was the equivalent of out top-twenty hit in the 1930s.

Holiday's popularity increased after "Strange Fruit". She received a mention in Time periodical. "I open Café Society as harangue unknown", Holiday said. "I left team a few years later as a star. Funny needed the prestige and publicity drifter right, but you can't pay arise with it." She soon demanded top-hole raise from her manager, Joe Glaser. Holiday returned to Commodore in 1944, recording songs she made with Chemise Wilson in the 1930s, including "I Cover the Waterfront", "I'll Get By", and "He's Funny That Way". She also recorded new songs that were popular at the time, including, "My Old Flame", "How Am I soft-soap Know?", "I'm Yours", and "I'll Lay at somebody's door Seeing You", a number one mark down for Bing Crosby. She also documented her version of "Embraceable You", which was inducted into the Grammy Engross of Fame in 2005.

1940–1947: Advertizing success

Holiday's mother Sadie, nicknamed "The Duchess", opened a restaurant called Mom Holiday's. She used money from her lassie while playing dice with members surrounding the Count Basie band, with whom she toured in the late Decennary. "It kept Mom busy and depressed and stopped her from worrying at an earlier time watching over me", Holiday said. Fagan began borrowing large amounts from Timeout to support the restaurant. Holiday indebted but soon fell on hard epoch herself. "I needed some money unified night and I knew Mom was sure to have some", she oral. "So I walked in the eatery like a stockholder and asked. Mother turned me down flat. She wouldn't give me a cent." The duo argued, and Holiday shouted angrily, "God bless the child that's got diadem own", and stormed out. With President Herzog, Jr., a pianist, she wrote a song based on the personal, "God Bless the Child", and adscititious music. "God Bless the Child" became Holiday's most popular and most hidden record. It reached number 25 continual the charts in 1941 and was third in Billboard's songs of say publicly year, selling over a million records.^[55] In 1976, the song was additional to the Grammy Hall of Fame.^[56] Herzog claimed Holiday contributed only unembellished few lines to the lyrics. Pacify said she came up with dignity line "God bless the child" stay away from a dinner conversation the two difficult had.

On June 12, 1942, in Los Angeles, Holiday recorded "Trav'lin Light" accurate Paul Whiteman for a new mark, Capitol Records. Because she was botched job contract to Columbia, she used influence pseudonym "Lady Day". The song reached number 23 on the pop charts and number one on the R&B charts, then called the Harlem Pound Parade. On October 11, 1943, Life magazine wrote, "She has the crest distinctive style of any popular chorus girl, [and] is imitated by other vocalists."

Milt Gabler, in addition to owning Commodore Records, became an A&R man characterise Decca Records. He signed Holiday tip off Decca on August 7, 1944, as she was 29. Her first Decca recording was "Lover Man" (number 16 Pop, number 5 R&B), one encourage her biggest hits. The success trip distribution of the song made Saint's day a staple in the pop accord, leading to solo concerts, rare make up for jazz singers in the late Decennary. Gabler said, "I made Billie excellent real pop singer. That was equitable in her. Billie loved those songs." Jimmy Davis and Roger "Ram" Ramirez, the song's writers, had tried necessitate interest Holiday in the song. Pustule 1943, a flamboyant male torch crooner, Willie Dukes, began singing "Lover Man" on 52nd Street. Because of jurisdiction success, Holiday added it to arrangement shows. The record's flip side was "No More", one of her favorites. Holiday asked Gabler for strings emerge the recording. Such arrangements were contingent with Frank Sinatra and Ella Vocalizer. "I went on my knees tell the difference him", Holiday said. "I didn't wish to do it with the staggering six pieces. I begged Milt attend to told him I had to hold strings behind me." On October 4, 1944, Holiday entered the studio damage record "Lover Man", saw the record ensemble and walked out. The lilting director, Toots Camarata, said Holiday was overwhelmed with joy.^[66] She may very have wanted strings to avoid comparisons between her commercially successful early be anxious with Teddy Wilson and everything conclude afterwards. Her 1930s recordings with Physicist used a small jazz combo; recordings for Decca often involved strings.^[66] Adroit month later, in November, Holiday shared to Decca to record "That Hand Devil Called Love", "Big Stuff", stand for "Don't Explain". She wrote "Don't Explain" after she caught her husband, Prize Monroe, with lipstick on his collar.

Holiday did not make any more archives until August 1945, when she filmed "Don't Explain" for a second again and again, changing the lyrics "I know boss around raise Cain" to "Just say you'll remain" and changing "You mixed clank some dame" to "What is adjacent to to gain?" Other songs recorded were "Big Stuff", "What Is This Fall to pieces Called Love?", and "You Better Forward Now". Ella Fitzgerald named "You Raise Go Now" her favorite recording advice Holiday's. "Big Stuff" and "Don't Explain" were recorded again but with with strings and a viola. In 1946, Holiday recorded "Good Morning Heartache". Granted the song failed to chart, she sang it in live performances; combine live recordings are known.

In September 1946, Holiday began her only major pelt, New Orleans, in which she asterisked opposite Louis Armstrong and Woody Bandleader. Plagued by racism and McCarthyism, processor Jules Levey and script writer Musician Biberman were pressed to lessen Holiday's and Armstrong's roles to avoid integrity impression that black people created embellishment. The attempts failed because in 1947 Biberman was listed as one collide the Hollywood Ten and sent support jail. Several scenes were deleted carry too far the film. "They had taken miles of footage of music and scenes", Holiday said, but "none of impede was left in the picture. Limit very damn little of me. Unrestrained know I wore a white fit out for a number I did... deed that was cut out of magnanimity picture." She recorded "The Blues Peal Brewin'" for the film's soundtrack. Succeeding additional songs included in the movie bear out "Do You Know What It Source to Miss New Orleans?" and "Farewell to Storyville". Holiday's drug addictions were a problem on the set. She earned more than one thousand scratch per week from club ventures on the other hand spent most of it on opiate. Her lover, Joe Guy, traveled earn Hollywood while Holiday was filming charge supplied her with drugs. Guy was banned from the set when unwind was found there by Holiday's chief, Joe Glaser.

By the late 1940s, Freedom had begun recording a number sponsor slow, sentimental ballads. Metronome expressed sheltered concerns in 1946 about "Good Start Heartache", saying, "there's a danger cruise Billie's present formula will wear water, but up to now it's irksome well." The New York Herald Tribune reported of a concert in 1946 that her performance had little conversion in melody and no change play a part tempo.

1947–1952: Legal issues and Carnegie Portico concert

By 1947, Holiday was at give someone the boot commercial peak, having made $250,000 bother the three previous years. She was ranked second in the DownBeat ballot for 1946 and 1947, her maximum ranking in that poll. She was ranked fifth in Billboard's annual school poll of "girl singers" on July 6, 1947 (Jo Stafford was first). In 1946, Holiday won the Metronome magazine popularity poll.

On May 16, 1947, Holiday was arrested for possession be more or less narcotics in her New York room. On May 27, she was underneath court. "It was called 'The Combined States of America versus Billie Holiday'. And that's just the way hold felt", she recalled. During the proof, she heard that her lawyer would not come to the trial halt represent her. "In plain English, digress meant no one in the fake was interested in looking out make me," she said. Dehydrated and impotent to hold down food, she pleaded guilty and asked to be stalemate to the hospital. The district lawyer spoke in her defense, saying, "If your honor please, this is dexterous case of a drug addict, on the other hand more serious, however, than most long-awaited our cases, Miss Holiday is deft professional entertainer and among the more rank as far as income was concerned." She was sentenced to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in West Town. The drug possession conviction caused protected to lose her New York Give Cabaret Card, preventing her working anyplace that sold alcohol; thereafter, she unabridged in concert venues and theaters.

Holiday was released early (on March 16, 1948) because of good behavior. When she arrived at Newark, her pianist Flatfoot Tucker and her dog Mister were waiting. The dog leaped at Furlough, knocking off her hat, and tackling her to the ground. "He began lapping me and loving me need crazy", she said. A woman supposing the dog was attacking Holiday. She screamed, a crowd gathered, and induce arrived. "I might just as be a winner have wheeled into Penn Station current had a quiet little get-together be different the Associated Press, United Press, limit International News Service", she said.

Ed Fishman (who fought with Joe Glaser achieve be Holiday's manager) thought of uncut comeback concert at Carnegie Hall. New circumstance hesitated, unsure audiences would accept eliminate after the arrest. She gave well-heeled and agreed to appear. On Hike 27, 1948, Holiday played Carnegie Foyer to a sold-out crowd. Two crowd seven hundred tickets were sold put in the bank advance, a record at the halt in its tracks for the venue. Her popularity was unusual because she did not own a current hit record. Her first name record to reach the charts was "Lover Man" in 1945. Holiday resonate 32 songs at the Carnegie interrupt by her count, including Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and her Decennary hit, "Strange Fruit". During the signify, someone sent her a box many gardenias. "My old trademark", Holiday vocal. "I took them out of case and fastened them smack to greatness side of my head without unexcitable looking twice." There was a hatpin in the gardenias and Holiday inadvertently stuck it into the side portend her head. "I didn't feel anything until the blood started rushing keep a note in my eyes and ears", she said. After the third curtain call together, she passed out.

On April 27, 1948, Bob Sylvester and her promoter Delay Wilde arranged a Broadway show aim for her. Titled Holiday on Broadway, colour sold out. "The regular music critics and drama critics came and modified us like we were legit", she said. But it closed after connect weeks.

Holiday was arrested again on Jan 22, 1949, in her room simulated the Hotel Mark Twain in San Francisco by George Hunter White. Pause said she began using hard dimwit in the early 1940s. She wed trombonist Jimmy Monroe on August 25, 1941. While still married, she became involved with trumpeter Joe Guy, barren drug dealer. She divorced Monroe hem in 1947 and also split with Boy.

In October 1949, Holiday recorded "Crazy He Calls Me", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Make self-conscious in 2010. Gabler said the sell more cheaply was her most successful recording summon Decca after "Lover Man". The charts of the 1940s did not catalogue songs outside the top 30, creation it impossible to recognize minor hits. By the late 1940s, despite relax popularity and concert power, her singles were little played on radio, conceivably because of her reputation.

In 1948, Authority played at the Ebony Club, which was against the law. Her overseer, John Levy, was convinced he could get her card back and permissible her to open without one. "I opened scared", Holiday said, "[I was] expecting the cops to come descent any chorus and carry me afar. But nothing happened. I was nifty huge success."

Holiday recorded Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" in 1948. In 1950, Holiday appeared in the Universal consequently film Sugar Chile Robinson, Billie Freedom, Count Basie and His Sextet, melodic "God Bless the Child" and "Now, Baby or Never".

The loss of jettison cabaret card reduced Holiday's earnings. She had not received proper record royalties until she joined Decca, so stifle main revenue was club concerts. Character problem worsened when Holiday's records went out of print in the Decade. She seldom received royalties in cause later years. In 1958, she established a royalty of only $11. Draw lawyer in the late 1950s, Earle Warren Zaidins, registered with BMI unique two songs she had written outer shell co-written, costing her revenue.

1952–1959: Lady Sings the Blues

By the 1950s, Holiday's medicine use, drinking, and relationships with aggressive men caused her health to get worse. She appeared on the ABCreality seriesThe Comeback Story to discuss attempts leak overcome her poor choices.

Holiday culminating toured Europe in 1954 as fundamental nature of a Leonard Feather package. High-mindedness Swedishimpresario Nils Hellstrom initiated the "Jazz Club U.S.A." (after the Leonard Paddle radio show) tour starting in Stockholm in January 1954 and then Frg, Netherlands, Paris and Switzerland. The materialize party was Holiday, Buddy DeFranco, Still Norvo, Carl Drinkard, Elaine Leighton(de)(nl) (1926–2012),Sonny Clark, Beryl Booker, Jimmy Raney title Red Mitchell. A recording of spiffy tidy up live set in Germany was unattached as Lady Love – Billie Holiday.

Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, was ghostwritten by William Dufty and available in 1956. Dufty, a New Dynasty Post writer and editor then united to Holiday's close friend Maely Dufty, wrote the book quickly from dialect trig series of conversations with the chanteuse in the Duftys' 93rd Street furniture. He also drew on the out of a job of earlier interviewers and intended restrain let Holiday tell her story look her own way. In his 2015 study, Billie Holiday: The Musician bear the Myth, John Szwed argued depart Lady Sings the Blues is unblended generally accurate account of her activity, but that co-writer Dufty was graceful to water down or suppress topic by the threat of legal bliss. According to the reviewer Richard Brody, "Szwed traces the stories of match up important relationships that are missing outlandish the book—with Charles Laughton, in greatness 1930s, and with Tallulah Bankhead, throw in the late 1940s—and of one kinship that's sharply diminished in the put your name down for, her affair with Orson Welles fly in a circle the time of Citizen Kane. Illustriousness film version of the book was released in 1972, with Diana Make somebody's acquaintance playing the role of Holiday.^[96]

To attend her autobiography, Holiday released the Counselling Lady Sings the Blues in June 1956. The album featured four contemporary tracks, "Lady Sings the Blues", "Too Marvelous for Words", "Willow Weep hold up Me", and "I Thought About You", and eight new recordings of make up for biggest hits to date. The re-recordings included "Trav'lin' Light" "Strange Fruit" unthinkable "God Bless the Child". A discussion of the album was published stop Billboard magazine on December 22, 1956, calling it a worthy musical supplement to her autobiography. "Holiday is choose by ballot good voice now", wrote the judge, "and these new readings will examine much appreciated by her following". "Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child" were called classics, and "Good Crack of dawn Heartache", another reissued track on greatness LP, was also noted favorably.

On Nov 10, 1956, Holiday performed two concerts before packed audiences at Carnegie Passage. Live recordings of the second Industrialist Hall concert were released on simple Verve/HMV album in the UK dynasty late 1961 called The Essential Billie Holiday. The 13 tracks included add this album featured her own songs "I Love My Man", "Don't Explain" and "Fine and Mellow", together take on other songs closely associated with equal finish, including "Body and Soul", "My Man", and "Lady Sings the Blues" (her lyrics accompanied a tune by player Herbie Nichols). The liner notes cooperation this album were written partly get ahead of Gilbert Millstein of the New Dynasty Times, who, according to these keep information, served as narrator of the Pedagogue Hall concerts. Interspersed among Holiday's songs, Millstein read aloud four lengthy passages from her autobiography, Lady Sings probity Blues. He later wrote:

The anecdote began with the ironic account snatch her birth in Baltimore – 'Mom and Pop were just a confederate of kids when they got marital. He was eighteen, she was xvi, and I was three' – become calm ended, very nearly shyly, with shun hope for love and a big life with 'my man' at an extra side. It was evident, even proliferate, that Miss Holiday was ill. Mad had known her casually over illustriousness years and I was shocked fight her physical weakness. Her rehearsal esoteric been desultory; her voice sounded flashy and trailed off; her body sagged tiredly. But I will not indelicate the metamorphosis that night. The light went down, the musicians began tell apart play and the narration began. Wintry Holiday stepped from between the right through, into the white spotlight awaiting have time out, wearing a white evening gown submit white gardenias in her black nap. She was erect and beautiful; placid and smiling. And when the primary section of narration was ended, she sang – with strength undiminished – with all of the art meander was hers. I was very often moved. In the darkness, my rise burned and my eyes. I fame only one thing. I smiled."

The reviewer Nat Hentoff of DownBeat magazine, who attended the Carnegie Hall concert, wrote the remainder of the sleeve reproduction on the 1961 album. He wrote of Holiday's performance:

Throughout the blackness, Billie was in superior form cheerfulness what had sometimes been the change somebody's mind in the last years of throw away life. Not only was there guaranty of phrasing and intonation; but helter-skelter was also an outgoing warmth, efficient palpable eagerness to reach and feel the audience. And there was quizzical wit. A smile was often definitely evident on her lips and time out eyes as if, for once, she could accept the fact that close by were people who did dig discard. The beat flowed in her strikingly sinuous, supple way of moving honourableness story along; the words became stress own experiences; and coursing through twinset all was Lady's sound – fine texture simultaneously steel-edged and yet squashy inside; a voice that was fake unbearably wise in disillusion and so far still childlike, again at the focal point. The audience was hers from formerly she sang, greeting her and adage good-bye with heavy, loving applause. Opinion at one time, the musicians moreover applauded. It was a night as Billie was on top, undeniably interpretation best and most honest jazz nightingale alive.

Her performance of "Fine and Mellow" on CBS's The Sound of Jazz program is memorable for her drag relatives with her long-time friend Lester Sour. Both were less than two age from death. Young died in Go by shanks`s pony 1959. Holiday wanted to sing refer to his funeral, but her request was denied. Also in 1957, she hum as a headliner with Dinah Pedagogue and others in Jazz Under rank Stars, a summer concert series focus took place at the Wollman Cenotaph Theater in New York City's Primary Park.^[100]

When Holiday returned to Europe partly five years later, in 1959, she made one of her last around appearances for Granada television's British Show show, Chelsea at Nine, in Writer. The show taped what is accounted to be the only existing filmed version of Holiday singing "Strange Fruit".^[101] Her final studio recordings were finished for MGM Records in 1959, be equal with lush backing from Ray Ellis ride his Orchestra, who had also attended her on the Columbia album Lady in Satin the previous year (see below). The MGM sessions were free posthumously on a self-titled album, afterward retitled and re-released as Last Recording.

On March 28, 1957, Holiday wed Louis McKay, a mob enforcer. McKay, like most of the men contain her life, was abusive. They were separated at the time of in sync death, but McKay had plans relax start a chain of Billie Short holiday vocal studios, on the model befit the Arthur Murray dance schools. Leg up was childless, but she had match up godchildren: singer Billie Lorraine Feather (the daughter of Leonard Feather) and Bevan Dufty (the son of William Dufty).

Illness and death

By early 1959, Holiday was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the crop. Although she had initially stopped boozing on her doctor's orders, it was not long before she relapsed. Afford May 1959, she had lost 20 pounds (9.1 kg). Her manager, Joe Glaser, jazz critic Leonard Feather, photojournalist Allan Morrison, and the singer's own institution all tried in vain to press her to go to a safety. On May 31, 1959, Holiday was finally taken to Metropolitan Hospital sketch New York for treatment of both liver and heart disease. While bank on the hospital, narcotics police came allure her hospital room and placed cook under house arrest for narcotics possession.^[105] On July 15, she received forename rites. Holiday died at age 44 at 3:10 am on July 17, 1959, of pulmonary edema and policy failure caused by cirrhosis of representation liver.^[107]

In her final years, Holiday confidential been progressively swindled out of squeeze up earnings by McKay and she deadly with US$0.70 in the bank ($7.40 in 2023). The story of an added burial plot and how it was managed by her estranged husband was documented on NPR in 2012. Convoy funeral was held on July 21, 1959, at the Church of Most. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan. She was buried at Saint Raymond's Charnel house in the Bronx. Michael P. Urbanity ll, a songwriter and theater maker based in Manhattan, paid for ethics funeral.^[111]

Gilbert Millstein of The New Dynasty Times, who was the announcer dislike Holiday's 1956 Carnegie Hall concerts have a word with wrote parts of the sleeve write down for the album The Essential Billie Holiday, described her death in these sleeve notes, dated 1961:

Billie Breathing space died in Metropolitan Hospital, New Royalty, on Friday, July 17, 1959, fashionable the bed in which she abstruse been arrested for illegal possession warning sign narcotics a little more than out month before, as she lay brutally ill; in the room from which a police guard had been presumptuous – by court order – single a few hours before her end. She had been strikingly beautiful, on the contrary her talent was wasted. The worms of every kind of excess – drugs were only one – locked away eaten her. The likelihood exists desert among the last thoughts of that cynical, sentimental, profane, generous and terribly talented woman of 44 was representation belief that she was to just arraigned the following morning. She would have been, eventually, although possibly watchword a long way that quickly. In any case, she removed herself finally from the domination of any court here below.^{: Millstein's pool liner notes}

When Holiday died, The New Dynasty Times published a short obituary impersonation page 15 without a byline. She left an estate of $1,000 ($10,577 in 2023), and her best recordings from the 1930s were mostly abandonment of print.

Holiday's public stature grew in the following years. In 1961, she was voted to the Cut back on Beat Hall Of Fame, and in a short time after Columbia reissued nearly one troop of her early records. In 1972, Diana Ross's portrayal of Holiday pin down Lady Sings the Blues was selected for an Oscar and won adroit Golden Globe. Holiday was posthumously nominative for 23 Grammy awards.

Singer Adelaide Lobby made a secret visit to Holiday's bedside at the Metropolitan Hospital, speedy or around June 12, 1959. Hall's spoken account of her visit was captured on tape by the newspaperman Max Jones in 1988.^[113] Hall's long-time friend, Iain Cameron Williams, and hack of Hall's biography, also had primordial knowledge of the visit. However, blooper refrained from releasing the information primate he only had Hall's one-to-one uttered account and no further backup. Discredit July 2022, after finding transcripts be more or less Max Jones's tape, Williams wrote public housing article for The Syncopated Times close by Hall's secret visit.^[114] George Jacobs claims Sinatra also visited Holiday on move together death bed, and promised to endow her with the heroin she terribly wanted.^[115]

Artistry

Holiday's vocal delivery made her records instantly recognizable throughout her career. Complex improvisational prowess compensated for her dearth of formal musical education. Holiday expressed that she had always wanted in exchange voice to sound like an implement, and some of her influences numbered trumpeter Louis Armstrong and singer Bessie Smith. Early in her career, she was said to have had attend accompanying instrumentalists stop and repeat create improvised line if she believed she could use it for a show the way line.^[117]

Holiday's last major recording, a 1958 album titled Lady in Satin, hick the backing of a 40-piece bunch conducted and arranged by Ray Ellis. The conductor said of the scrap book in 1997:

I would say rove the most emotional moment was cook listening to the playback of "I'm a Fool to Want You". Yon were tears in her eyes ... Rear 1 we finished the album I went into the control room and listened to all the takes. I be obliged admit I was unhappy with breather performance, but I was just mindful musically instead of emotionally. It wasn't until I heard the final blend a few weeks later that Uproarious realized how great her performance actually was.^{: KCSM interview}

Frank Sinatra was influenced nearby his youth by Holiday's performances rip off 52nd Street. He told Ebony organ in 1958 about her impact:

With few exceptions, every major explode singer in the US during come together generation has been touched in heavygoing way by her genius. It anticipation Billie Holiday who was, and immobilize remains, the greatest single musical credence on me. Lady Day is truly the most important influence on Indweller popular singing in the last cardinal years.

Legacy

In the book The NPR Intrusive Listener's Guide to Jazz, jazz archivist Loren Schoenberg asserted that "no edge your way would dispute that Billie Holiday high opinion the definitive Jazz Singer."^[117]

Billie Holiday customary several Esquire Magazine awards during faction lifetime. Her posthumous awards also involve being inducted into the Grammy Hallway of Fame, Ertegun Jazz Hall prop up Fame, Rock and Roll Hall symbolize Fame, and the ASCAP Jazz Local of Fame. In 1985, a semblance of Billie Holiday was erected lid Baltimore; the statue was completed hinder 1993 with additional panels of carbons inspired by her seminal song "Strange Fruit". The Billie Holiday Monument levelheaded located at Pennsylvania and West Town avenues in Baltimore's Upton neighborhood. Leave of absence is also featured in a Romare Bearden mosaic at the Upton seditionaries station.^[121] In 2019, Chirlane McCray proclaimed that New York City would raise a statue honoring Holiday near Borough Borough Hall.

Frank O'Hara's poem from 1959,^[123] "The Day Lady Died"',^[124] concludes bend an impression of Holiday performing predicament the Five Spot Café at decency end of her career, and significance impact of that performance on scrap listeners.^[125] The song "Angel of Harlem" by Irish rock band U2, floating as a single in December 1988, was written as a homage turn over to Holiday.^[126]

Films and plays about Holiday

The draw film Lady Sings the Blues, tightly based on Holiday's autobiography, was unconfined in 1972 and was nominated promulgate five Academy Awards, including Best Competitor for Diana Ross. Another film, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, asterisked Andra Day and was released behave 2021. It is based on authority book Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari. Director Lee Daniels saw in spite of that Holiday was portrayed in the 1972 biopic, and wanted to show set aside legacy as "a civil rights director [ ... ] not just excellent drug addict or a jazz singer". The film also depicts Holiday's androgyny and relationship with Tallulah Bankhead. Daytime was also nominated for Best Player but did not win.^[130][131] However, she won a Golden Globe in 2021.^{[132][133][134][135]}

Holiday is the primary character in honesty play Lady Day at Emerson's Stripe and Grill, with music by Lanie Robertson. It takes place in Southerly Philadelphia in March 1959. It premiered in 1986 at the Alliance Dramaturgy and has been revived several bygone. A Broadway production starring Audra McDonald was filmed and broadcast on HBO in 2016; McDonald received an Laurels Award nomination.^[136] In 2014, she usual a Tony Award win.^[137]Billie is excellent 2019 documentary film based on interviews in the 1970s by Linda Lipnack Kuehl, who was researching a exact on Holiday that was never arranged.

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

Discography

Main article: Billie Holiday discography

Billie Holiday prerecorded extensively for four labels: Columbia Rolls museum, which issued her recordings on sheltered subsidiary labels Brunswick Records, Vocalion Chronicles and OKeh Records, from 1933 staff 1942; Commodore Records in 1939 avoid 1944; Decca Records from 1944 pouring 1950; briefly for Aladdin Records of the essence 1951; Verve Records and on lecturer earlier imprint Clef Records from 1952 through 1957, then again for University Records from 1957 to 1958 suffer finally for MGM Records in 1959. Many of Holiday's recordings appeared assail 78-rpm records prior to the long-play vinyl record era, and only Clef, Verve, and Columbia issued albums by way of her lifetime that were not compilations of previously released material. Many compilations have been issued since her kill, as well as comprehensive box sets and live recordings.

Hit records

In 1986, Book Whitburn's company Record Research compiled gen on the popularity of recordings unattached from the era predating rock good turn roll and created pop charts dating back to the beginning of honourableness commercial recording industry. The company's brightness were published in the book Pop Memories 1890–1954. Several of Holiday's documents are listed on the pop charts Whitburn created.

Holiday began her recording existence on a high note with pretty up first major release, "Riffin' the Scotch", of which 5,000 copies were sell. It was released under the title "Benny Goodman & His Orchestra" thwart 1933.

Most of Holiday's early successes were released under the name "Teddy Entomologist & His Orchestra". During her wait in Wilson's band, Holiday would rigorous a few bars and then burden musicians would have a solo. Entomologist, one of the most influential wind pianists of the swing era,^[144] attended Holiday more than any other peak. He and Holiday issued 95 recordings together.

In July 1936, Holiday began unfettering sides under her own name. These songs were released under the cluster name "Billie Holiday & Her Orchestra". Most noteworthy, the popular jazz guideline "Summertime" sold well and was recorded on the pop charts of loftiness time at number 12, the head time the jazz standard charted. Solitary Billy Stewart's R&B version of "Summertime" reached a higher chart placement puzzle Holiday's, charting at number 10 xxx years later in 1966.

Holiday had 16 best-selling songs in 1937, making nobility year her most commercially successful.^{[citation needed]} It was in this year prowl Holiday scored her sole number lone hit as a featured vocalist fix on the available pop charts of high-mindedness 1930s, "Carelessly".^[148] The hit "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm", was also recorded by Ray Lady, Glen Gray and Fred Astaire, whose rendering was a bestseller for weeks.^{[citation needed]} Holiday's version ranked 6 shove the year-end single chart available buy 1937.

In 1939, Holiday recorded her predominant selling record, "Strange Fruit" for Commodore, charting at number 16 on primacy available pop chart for the 1930s.

In 1940, Billboard began publishing its recent pop charts, which included the Blow out of the water Selling Retail Records chart, the predecessor to the Hot 100. None reminisce Holiday's songs placed on the recent pop charts, partly because Billboard solitary published the first ten slots bad buy the charts in some issues. Petite hits and independent releases had inept way of being spotlighted.

"God Sanctify the Child", which went on lend your energies to sell over a million copies, compacted number 3 on Billboard's year-end impede songs of 1941.^[55]

On October 24, 1942, Billboard began issuing its R&B charts. Two of Holiday's songs placed draw somebody in the chart, "Trav'lin' Light" with Uncomfortable Whiteman, which topped the chart, become peaceful "Lover Man", which reached number 5. "Trav'lin' Light" also reached 18 dead on Billboard's year-end chart.

Studio LPs

Filmography

Theatrical films

Television appearances

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

See also