Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. She was a jazz and blues singer with a voice that pierced the air and brought people to life. Born as Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she was also known as Lady Day.
Billie’s childhood in Philadelphia
At the age of six, her mother died tragically of pneumonia and Billie was left with her grandmother. Her father showed up sporadically throughout her life, but she never called him Dad.
She began singing in Harlem nightclubs to support her family, when she was just a teenager.
She was also one of the most influential jazz singers of all time, and is credited with popularizing a more personal style of jazz vocalism focused on subtlety and nuance. Her voice is often described as “a prototype of cool”.
Billie’s early career as a singer
Billie’s early career as a singer was characterized by her voice and the songs she sang.
Billie’s first career as a singer began when she was just a child.
The first time Billie Holiday sang professionally was when she sang for a dance band for $4 a night. She then became the lead singer of her own group called “The Four Jumps of Jive”. in New York.
In addition, she sang for her family and friends, and they encouraged her to pursue a career in music.
Billie Holiday’s Strange Fruit
In 1939, Billie Holiday had her first hit song, “Strange Fruit”. This song was about the lynching of African-Americans by whites during the Jim Crow era in America. The song’s title comes from black bodies hanging from trees after being murdered by whites. who were trying to maintain a sense of white power and control. In her song, she uses this lynching as a way of showing how injustice continues in today’s society. The term “Jim Crow” originally referred to the system of laws in the United States that were passed by Southern states in response to the Civil War and imposed racial segregation against blacks in public places.
Billie Holiday’s career
Holiday’s career spanned more than 50 years, during which she recorded over 400 songs and released more than 30 albums. Her best-known albums are “Lady Sings the Blues” (1956) and “Billie Holiday Sings” (1957). Her success began when she started singing with Benny Goodman’s band in the 1930s.
She released her first album in 1933, entitled “Songs for Distinguished Lovers”. This album contained songs she had written herself, including “What A Little Moonlight Can Do”, which became one of her most famous songs. After her first album, she released a series of successful albums, including “Songs for Swingin’ Lovers”, which became one of the best-selling albums of all time. She continued to produce a string of hit songs throughout her career, including “Somebody Loves Me”, “The Great Pretender”, “April Showers” and many others.
What happened to Billie Holiday at the end of her life?
In 1938, she met Lester Young, who introduced her to marijuana and cocaine, which eventually led to her heroin addiction in the 1950s. She was arrested for drug possession and spent eighteen months in prison on Blackwell Island.
Addiction weakened her voice and she eventually lost control of it.
Billie Holiday’s life was a long, hard struggle with drug addiction. She began using heroin in the ’50s, when it was still legal and available by prescription. Later, when it became illegal, she could no longer get it for free, so she had to turn to other drugs like morphine and alcohol.
In 1959, Billie Holiday died at the age of 44 of liver failure due to her addiction to alcohol and drugs.
Billie Holiday’s most popular albums
Billie Holiday is one of the most popular jazz singers. Her albums are among the most popular jazz albums in history.
Billie Holiday’s first album, “Billie Holiday Sings”, was released in 1957. The album includes songs like “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love”, “All Of Me” and “The Lady Is A Tramp”. This album was Billie’s first major release with Columbia Records and helped establish her as a major jazz singer.
“Lady In Satin” was released in 1958 by Columbia Records. The album includes songs like “I’m A Fool To Want You” and “Don’t Explain”. This album helped establish Billie as a pop singer, not just a jazz singer, as she covered popular pop and rock songs.
Awards and honors
Billie Holiday won numerous awards and honors during her lifetime, including three Grammys, four Metronome Awards, two Down Beat Awards and an honorary doctorate from Yale University. She was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Other jazz singers
Peggy Lee
Chris Connor
Ray Charles
Etta James
Freddy Cole
Lee Wiley
Harry Connick Jr.
Natalie Cole
Michael Buble
Annie Ross
Jon Hendricks
Mel Torme
Mildred Bailey
Betty Roche
Rosemary Clooney
Jeri Southern
Diane Schuur
Helen Merril
Mark Murphy
Chaka Khan
Mary Stallings
Carol Sloane
Dee Dee Bridgewater
Lena Horne
Jimmy Rushing
Gloria Lynne
Ricki Lee Jones
Eartha Kitt
Al Jarreau
Alberta Hunter
Diane Reeves
George Benson
Norah Jones
Nneena Freelon
Jack Teagarden
Karrin Allyson
Stacey Kent
Ethel Waters
Ella Mae Morse
Sheila Jordan
Jo Stafford
Joe Williams
Eddie Jefferson
Oscar Brown Jr.
Jimmy Scott
Teddy Grace
Ernie Andrews
Leon Thomas
Cleo Laine
Maxine Sullivan
Lou Rawls
King Pleasure
Jimmy Witherspoon
Susannah Mccorkle
John Pizzarelli
Johnny Mercer
Lavern Butler
Madeleine Peyroux
Helen Humes
Jamie Cullum
Connee Boswell
Bob Dorough
Dr. John
Kevin Mahogany
Kurt Elling
Lavay Smith
Big Joe Turner
Sylvia Brooks
Arthur Prysock
Irene Ried
Oleta Adams
Della Griffin