curlio.com Special: Billie 'Lady Day' Holiday

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Billie 'Lady Day' Holiday

curlio

2003-02-22 21:40:06

In honor of Black History Month, Curlio.com will be publishing biographies of some of the great musicians who have helped to form our modern musical heritage. Today's installment takes a look at Jazz legend Billie "Lady Day" Holiday.

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Much of Billie Holiday's life is shrouded with mystery. She wrote an autobiography before her death, however it is believed that much of the details were exaggerated and that the truth lies beneath.

Born Eleanora Fagan Cough on April 7th, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Billie would eventually use her father's last name combined with the name of movie star Billie Dove. Her mother was 13 years old and unwed. Her father Clarence Holiday, left the family shortly after she was born. He refused to even acknowledge Billie until after she was a success.

According to her own biography, she was raped at the ago of 10, and then abandoned by her mother shortly after. She lived with relative, who according to Billie, abused her. To support herself, she worked in a brothel, running errands and scrubbing floors. There she first heard the sounds of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith on the phonography.

At the age of 12, she moved to New York to be with her mother and became a prostitute. Three years later, she would convince a club owner to let her sing under the stage name of Billie Holiday. Within three years, she would record her first song under the direction of manager John Hammond. She recorded sessions with Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Lester Young. It was Lester who would give Billie the nickname that would stick with her: Lady Day.

Billie's music was light and rhythmic and slowly began to catch on to a larger audience.

In 1937 and 1938, she joined Count Basie and Artie Shaw. She became one of the first black singers to be featured with a white orchestra.

In the early 40's she had several hits with songs that were about lost love, and one song called "Strange Fruit" that was about the lynching of blacks. She was at the height of her popularity.

But as it is with many who are widely popular, the stress became too much. She began abusing Heroin, and ended up in jail on drug charges in 1947 after a very public trial. She also married men who abused her, as do many who come from abusive homes. She married and divorced three times in the 40's.

With the drug use and heavy drinking, her health suffered, and her voice changed. She lost most of her money. She began to turn her life around a bit when she toured in Europe, but in 1956, she was arrested again, and went into rehab. Despite her struggle to end her drug abuse, Billie died on July 17, 1959.

In 1972, Diana Ross starred in a movie about Billie's life called "Lady Sings the Blues", and interest in Billie perked. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an early influence in 2000.

You can find out more about Billie Holiday here.