Billie Holiday

Brief

     Holiday, born Eleanor Fagan, (1915 - 1959) was one of jazz's most influential vocalists, renowned for her improvisational skills. Her early life was marked by hardship. Born in Philadelphia, PA, she experienced a troubled childhood due to her father's absence and her mother's inconsistent presence. She was primarily raised by her aunt's mother-in-law and spent time in a Catholic reform school at age 11.

     Her musical career began in Harlem nightclubs as a teenager. Producer John Hammond discovered her at age 17, leading to her recording debut in November 1933 with Benny Goodman. Their collaboration "Riffin' the Scotch" sold 5,000 copies.

     Holiday's professional trajectory included notable collaborations with Count Basie (1937-1938) and Artie Shaw (1949). Her tenure with Shaw's orchestra ended prematurely due to racial discrimination at venues, where she faced harassment and was required to use service entrances.

     In 1939, Holiday recorded "Strange Fruit," an anti-lynching anthem written by Abel Meeropol, which became her signature song and drew attention from the Federal Government. The first verse is: 

The first few lyrics are:

Southern trees bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves
Blood at the root
Black bodies swinging
In the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

     That same year, after an argument with her mother over money, Holiday shouted "God bless the child that's got his own." She wrote a song based on this moment called "God Bless the Child," which became one of her biggest hits in 1941 and sold over a million copies.

     Holiday's career was significantly impacted by legal troubles. In March 1947, she was arrested for narcotics possession. The arrest was allegedly orchestrated by Federal Bureau of Narcotics commissioner Harry Anslinger in response to her performances of "Strange Fruit." Following her release in March 1948, she performed a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. However, due to her narcotics conviction, she lost her cabaret card - a police-issued permit required to perform in New York City venues serving alcohol. This loss, combined with improper royalty payments, severely impacted her income.

     Her autobiography, "Lady Sings the Blues," was published in 1956, ghostwritten by William Duffy. The book was later adapted into a 1972 film starring Diana Ross. Three significant intimate relationships were notably absent from the autobiography: those with Charles Laughton, Tallulah Bankhead, and Orson Welles.

     Holiday died on July 17, 1959, at age 44, in Metropolitan Hospital, New York City. Her legacy includes four posthumous Grammy awards and induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame, National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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