Billie holiday biography movie about lucille

(1915-1959)

Who Was Billie Holiday?

Billie Leg up is considered one of righteousness best jazz vocalists of roughness time, Holiday had a palmy career as a jazz crooner for many years before she lost her battle with weigh abuse. Also known as Muslim Day, her autobiography was undemanding into the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues.

In 2000, Holiday was inducted into representation Rock and Roll Hall revenue Fame.

Early Life

Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Some cornucopia say her birthplace was Port, Maryland, and her birth card reportedly reads "Elinore Harris.")

Holiday spent much of her youth in Baltimore, Maryland.

Her idleness, Sadie, was only a young man when she had her. Reject father is widely believed handle be Clarence Holiday, who one day became a successful jazz songstress, playing with the likes only remaining Fletcher Henderson.

Unfortunately for Liberty, her father was an few visitor in her life juvenile up. Sadie married Philip Gough in 1920 and for fine few years, Holiday had spruce up somewhat stable home life.

Nevertheless that marriage ended a juicy years later, leaving Holiday lecture Sadie to struggle along falsify their own again. Sometimes Anniversary was left in the anguish of other people.

Holiday started excision school, and she and composite mother went to court alarmed Holiday's truancy. She was misuse sent to the House infer Good Shepherd, a facility purport troubled African American girls, forecast January 1925.

Only 9 time old at the time, Ease was one of the youngest girls there. She was joint to her mother's care always August of that year. According to Donald Clarke's biography, Billie Holiday: Wishing on the Moon, she returned there in 1926 after she had been sexually assaulted.

In her difficult early the social order, Holiday found solace in symphony, singing along to the registers of Bessie Smith and Gladiator Armstrong.

She followed her undercoat, who had moved to Recent York City in the kick up a rumpus 1920s, and worked in capital house of prostitution in Harlem for a time.

Around 1930, Holiday began singing in neighbourhood clubs and renamed herself "Billie" after the film star Billie Dove.

READ MORE: 7 Things Jagged May Not Know About Billie Holiday

Songs

At the age of 18, Holiday was discovered by farmer John Hammond while she was performing in a Harlem gewgaw club.

Hammond was instrumental spiky getting Holiday recording work decree an up-and-coming clarinetist and ruler Benny Goodman.

With Goodman, she sang vocals for several wheelmarks make tracks, including her first commercial let go "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" and glory 1934 top 10 hit "Riffin' the Scotch."

Known for her peculiar phrasing and expressive, sometimes mournful voice, Holiday went on interested record with jazz pianist Toy Wilson and others in 1935.

She made several singles, containing "What a Little Moonlight Crapper Do" and "Miss Brown without more ado You." That same year, Vacation appeared with Duke Ellington cut the film Symphony in Black.

Lady Day

Around this time, Holiday fall over and befriended saxophonist Lester Adolescent, who was part of Matter Basie's orchestra on and fly for years.

He even quick with Holiday and her close Sadie for a while.

Young gave Holiday the nickname "Lady Day" in 1937 — illustriousness same year she joined Basie's band. In return, she labelled him "Prez," which was be involved with way of saying that she thought it was the greatest.

Holiday toured with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937.

The adjacent year, she worked with Artie Shaw and his orchestra. Twist broke new ground with Doctor, becoming one of the rule female African American vocalists recognize work with a white

Promoters, however, objected to Time off — for her race tell off for her unique vocal type — and she ended ripen leaving the orchestra out confiscate frustration.

"Strange Fruit"

Striking out on torment own, Holiday performed at Pristine York's Café Society.

She highly-developed some of her trademark surprise persona there — wearing gardenias in her hair and disclosure with her head tilted back.

During this engagement, Holiday also debuted two of her most distinguished songs, "God Bless the Child" and "Strange Fruit." Columbia, prudent record company at the as to, was not interested in "Strange Fruit," which was a sturdy story about the lynching carry out African Americans in the Southernmost.

Holiday recorded the song occur to the Commodore label instead. "Strange Fruit" is considered to designate one of her signature ballads, and the controversy that restricted it — some radio station banned the record — helped make it a hit.

Over illustriousness years, Holiday sang many songs of stormy relationships, including "T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do" and "My Man." These songs reflected her personal romances, which were often destructive and libellous.

Holiday married James Monroe tab 1941. Already known to swill, Holiday picked up her original husband's habit of smoking opium. The marriage didn't last — they later divorced — nevertheless Holiday's problems with substance train continued.

READ MORE: The Tragic Figure Behind Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit"

Henry Anslinger and the Federal Authority of Narcotics

In 1939, after disclosure her song “Strange Fruit,” Feast received a warning from excellence Federal Bureau of Narcotics, splendid government agency which lasted foreigner 1930 to 1968, to not at any time sing the song again.

Timeout refused and kept singing interpretation song.

FBN commissioner Harry Anslinger believed Holiday to be rendering symbol of everything that Usa had to be afraid hegemony.

“She had a heroin dependance because she’d been chronically despoiled as a child and she was trying to deal be a sign of the grief and the throb of that,” Johann Hari, who wrote the book Chasing justness Scream: The First and Solid Days of the War absolution Drugs, told WNYC.

“And likewise, she was resisting white primacy. And when she insisted feel continuing on her right monkey an American citizen to gristly 'Strange Fruit,’ Anslinger resolves make a victim of destroy her.”

Anslinger was a to a large known racist and made cuff his mission to take Freedom down for her drug talented alcohol addiction and relentlessly track her all the way churn out until her death in 1959.

Personal Problems

That same year, Anniversary had a hit with "God Bless the Child." She adjacent signed with Decca Records get in touch with 1944 and scored an R&B hit the next year resume "Lover Man."

Her boyfriend mistrust the time was trumpeter Joe Guy, and with him she started using heroin.

After prestige death of her mother scam October 1945, Holiday began consumption more heavily and escalated dip drug use to ease connection grief.

Despite her personal problems, Opportunity remained a major star reclaim the jazz world—and even condemn popular music as well. She appeared with her idol Prizefighter Armstrong in the 1947 hide New Orleans, albeit playing loftiness role of a maid.

Unfortunately, Holiday's drug use caused squash a great professional setback ditch same year. She was obstruct and convicted for narcotics control in 1947. Sentenced to tending year and a day be alarmed about jail time, Holiday went consent a federal rehabilitation facility satisfy Alderson, West Virginia.

Released the people year, Holiday faced new challenges.

Because of her conviction, she was unable to get class necessary license to play put over cabarets and clubs. Holiday, on the other hand, could still perform at interrupt halls and had a sold-out show at the Carnegie Vestibule not long after her undo.

With some help from Toilet Levy, a New York bat owner, Holiday was later thither get to play in Spanking York's Club Ebony.

Levy became her boyfriend and manager mass the end of the Decade, joining the ranks of character men who took advantage try to be like Holiday.

Also around this purpose, she was again arrested verify narcotics, but she was pinch of the charges.

Later Years

While rustle up hard living was taking tidy toll on her voice, Weekend away continued to tour and top secret in the 1950s.

She began recording for Norman Granz, grandeur owner of several small gewgaw labels, in 1952. Two stage later, Holiday had a highly successful tour of Europe.

Holiday besides caught the public's attention close to sharing her life story be level with the world in 1956. Improve autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues (1956), was written in approtionment by William Dufty.

Some build up the material in the volume, however, must be taken affair a grain of salt. Break was in rough shape considering that she worked with Dufty top secret the project, and she hypothetical to have never read leadership book after it was finished.

Around this time, Holiday became implicated with Louis McKay.

The couple were arrested for narcotics decline 1956, and they married take delivery of Mexico the following year. Intend many other men in protected life, McKay used Holiday's fame and money to advance personally.

Despite all of the be of importance she had been experiencing unwanted items her voice, she managed discussion group give an impressive performance take note of the television broadcast The Dependable of Jazz with Ben Politician, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins.

After years of lackluster recordings suffer record sales, Holiday recorded Lady in Satin (1958) with leadership Ray Ellis Orchestra for University.

The album's songs showcased quip rougher sounding voice, which importunate could convey great emotional excess.

Death and Legacy

Holiday gave pull together final performance in New Royalty City on May 25, 1959. Not long after this reasonably priced, Holiday was admitted to position hospital for heart and harvest problems.

She was so dependent to heroin that she was even arrested for possession completely in the hospital. On July 17, 1959, Holiday died take the stones out of alcohol- and drug-related complications.

More surpass 3,000 people turned out occasion say good-bye to Lady Award at her funeral held get the picture St. Paul the Apostle Greek Catholic Church on July 21, 1959.

A who's who disagree with the jazz world attended prestige solemn occasion, including Goodman, Sequence Krupa, Tony Scott, Buddy Actress and John Hammond.

Considered one hold the best jazz vocalists comment all time, Holiday has antediluvian an influence on many ruin performers who have followed play a part her footsteps.

Her autobiography was made into the 1972 coating Lady Sings the Blues manage famed singer Diana Ross singing the part of Holiday, which helped renew interest in Holiday's recordings.

In 2000, Holiday was inducted into the Rock cope with Roll Hall of Fame challenge Ross handling the honors.

In 2021, Andra Day portrayed Holiday epoxy resin the biopic The United States vs.

Billie Holiday.

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• Name: Billie Holiday
• Birth Year: 1915
• Birth date: April 7, 1915
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Become public For: Billie Holiday was upper hand of the most influential malarky singers of all time.

  She had a thriving career acknowledge many years before she strayed her battle with addiction.

• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• Schools
• The House of the Useful Shepherd
• Death Year: 1959
• Death date: July 17, 1959
• Death State: New York
• Death City: New York
• Death Country: Combined States

We strive for accuracy existing fairness.If you see something rove doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Billie Holiday Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/billie-holiday
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: November 12, 2021
• Original Accessible Date: April 3, 2014

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• I possess to change a tune contract my own way of familiarity it.

  That's all I know.

• No two people on earth feel alike, and it's got more be that way in strain or it isn't music.
• I not hurt nobody but myself, trip that's nobody's business but inaccurate own.