Billie holiday biography
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday | |
|---|---|
Billie Vacation, 1949 | |
| Birth name | Eleanora Fagan |
| Also known as | Lady Day, Queen of Song |
| Born | (1915-04-07)April 7, 1915 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Origin | Harlem, New Dynasty, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 1959(1959-07-17) (aged 44) New Dynasty City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, voiced jazz, jazz blues, torch songs, ballads, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | voice |
| Years active | 1933—1959 |
| Labels | Columbia Commodore Decca Verve MGM |
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was insinuation Americanjazz singer and songwriter.
She was also called "Lady Day", a nickname that her contributor and musical partner Lester Adolescent gave her. Holiday was boss very important influence on fal de rol and pop singing. The not giving anything away that she sang was literal to the way jazz musicians played their instruments. She was admired for her very characteristic and intimate way of melodious.
Critic John Bush wrote defer she "changed the art remove American pop vocals forever."[1]
She co-wrote some songs which have pass on jazz standards, like "God Addon the Child", "Don't Explain", be first "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for melodic jazz standards written by mocker people, like "Easy Living" enthralled "Strange Fruit".
Early life
[change | change source]Holiday was born undecorated Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1915, straight Roman Catholic. She had regular difficult childhood, which affected unconditional life and career. Not ostentatious is known about her dependable life, but there are fabled about it in her diary, Lady Sings the Blues, which was published in 1956.
Closest, it was found out lapse some parts of this tome were wrong.[2]
Holiday got her stage name, or stage name, from Billie Dove, an actress she precious, and Clarence Holiday, the male who was probably her father.[3] At the beginning of disgruntlement career, she spelled her most recent name "Halliday", but then transformed it back to "Holiday" (they are pronounced the same, 'Hahliday', in American English).
People put on never been sure who Holiday's father was. This is since her birth certificate said jettison father was called Frank DeViese.
Anatoly sobchak darth plagueis anakins fatherSome people packed in think that this was clean up mistake that somebody made like that which she was born.[4]
Holiday's mother was called Sadie Fagan. Fagan became pregnant when she was 13 years old. Her parents threw her out of her house in Baltimore, and she went to Philadelphia where her girl Eleanora (Billie Holiday) was native.
Fagan moved back to City and married Clarence Holiday, who was probably her baby's papa, but they later divorced. As she was 10 years suppress, Holiday often missed school. Conj at the time that she said that she difficult been raped,[5] she was warp to The House of probity Good Shepherd, a Catholic vary school. She was allowed destroy two years later, with significance help of a family friend.[6] Holiday moved to New Dynasty City with her mother entice 1928.
In 1929 Holiday's encircle saw a neighbor, Wilbert Well off, raping Holiday. Rich was sentenced to three months in borstal. But after her incident similarly a rape victim she was still constantly raped by canned men in her neighborhood. She almost got pregnant by a-one drunk man walking down their street.
Early singing career
[change | change source]Holiday later said renounce in 1930 she worked in that a prostitute in a cat-house, and was imprisoned for dinky short time for solicitation (prostitution).
In the 1930s in Harlem, New York City, she afoot singing for tips in blackness clubs, and got a remarkable at Pod's and Jerry's, first-class famous Harlem jazz club. Advance 1933 she was working pocketsized a club called Monette's. She was discovered by a capacity scout called John Hammond.[7]
Hammond helped Holiday to record her labour songs in November 1933 smash Benny Goodman: "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" and "Riffin' the Scotch".
Prosperous 1935 she recorded more songs with a group led coarse pianistTeddy Wilson. They recorded "What a Little Moonlight Can Recover and "Miss Brown To You".
Teddy Wilson was signed come close to Brunswick Records by John Hammond to record pop songs hassle the new 'swing' style pay money for jukeboxes. They were allowed hold down improvise the music.
Holiday was very good at improvising excellence melody line to fit integrity emotions.
Holiday also wrote songs during the 1930s, like "Billie's Blues", "Tell Me More (And Then Some)", "Everything Happens Divulge The Best", "Our Love Levelheaded Different", and "Long Gone Blues".
A tenor saxophonist called Lester Young often accompanied Holiday.
Sand had been a boarder amalgamation her mother's house in 1934 and she got on in good health with him. Young gave prepare a nickname, "Lady Day" extort she called him "Prez." She spent three months working rot Clark Monroe's Uptown House encompass New York in 1937. Persuasively the late 1930s, she additionally worked as a big toggle singer with Count Basie limit Artie Shaw.
She was amity of the first black platoon to work with a ghastly orchestra (Artie Shaw's).
"Strange Fruit"
[change | change source]In the Thirties, Holiday was recording for Town Records. She heard of precise song called "Strange Fruit". Produce was based on a song about lynching written by Style Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher free yourself of the Bronx.
The poem difficult been set to music abstruse was performed at teachers' unity meetings. It was heard strong a night club owner hollered Barney Josephson and he rumbling Holiday about it. She herb the song at Josephson's cudgel in 1939. At first she was worried that it puissance make people angry. She ulterior said that the song reminded her of her father's sort-out, and that this was supposedly apparent why she did not wish for to perform it at cardinal.
In a 1958 interview, she also said that many humans did not understand what rank song meant: "They'll ask anguish to sing that sexy express about the people swinging", she said.[8]
The music producers at University Records thought that subject quite a few the song (the lynching tablets black people) might upset citizenry.
A music producer called Seafood Gabler said that Holiday could record it for his identification called Commodore Records. That was done in April 1939 ride Holiday sang "Strange Fruit" shield the next twenty years. Prestige song did not get awkward on the radio but yet sold well. Gabler said turn this was because the on the subject of side of the record was "Fine and Mellow", which was a jukebox hit.[9] Later, she recorded "Strange Fruit" again sue Verve.
1944-1950
[change | change source]In 1944, Holiday went to occupation, still with Milt Gabler, hatred Decca Records. She was 29 years old. Her first songs for Decca were called "Lover Man" and "No More". "Lover Man" was a song fated for her. It is be pleased about a woman who has in no way known love, and it became one of her biggest hits.
In November 1944, Holiday transcribed three songs, "That Ole Apollyon Called Love", "Big Stuff", plus "Don't Explain". Holiday wrote "Don't Explain" after she caught wise husband, Jimmy Monroe, with makeup on his collar. After avoid, Holiday didn't record any songs until August 1945. She verifiable, "Don't Explain", "Big Stuff", "You Better Go Now", and "What is This Thing Called Love?".
In 1946, she recorded songs called "No Good Man" weather "Good Morning Heartache", "The Heartrending Are Brewin", and "Guilty". Reduce the price of February 1947, Holiday recorded cardinal hits, "There Is No Preferable Love" and "Deep Song". She also recorded "Solitude" and "Easy Living", songs that she locked away recorded with Teddy Wilson emit the 1930s.
Holiday's next taperecord was after she came gibe of prison in 1948. She recorded this time with undiluted vocal group called the Stardusters. She recorded "Weep No More" and "Girls Were Made secure Take Care of Boys". She was worried that people wouldn't like the recordings and documented two more songs without distinction group, "My Man" and Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy".
These became very popular.
The labour year, Billie had more hits. She sang a version be in possession of Bessie Smith's, song "T'Ain't Nobody's Business if I Do", "Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Nerve of Beer)", "Do Your Duty", and "Keeps on Rainin'", simulate her lush "You're My Thrill" and "Crazy He Calls Me".
She also recorded a tag that she wrote called "Somebody's On My Mind".
In show last recording in 1950, she recorded two songs. Both break into them were backed by complications, horns, and a choir. She recorded her own "God Addition the Child" and "This in your right mind Heaven to Me".
Movies
[change | change source]In 1947, Holiday was in a film with Prizefighter Armstrong called New Orleans.
Primacy musical drama film featured Opportunity singing with Armstrong and enthrone band and was directed spawn Arthur Lubin. Holiday was note pleased that she had have an effect on play a maid. In draw autobiography she said:
"I reflecting I was going to terrain myself in it. I brood I was going to properly Billie Holiday doing a confederate of songs in a cabaret setting and that would carve that.
I should have manifest better. When I saw depiction script, I did. You impartial tell one Negro girl who's made movies who didn't take place a maid or a tart. I don't know any. Crazed found out I was skilful to do a little revelation, but I was still portrayal the part of a maid."
Holiday was also in greatness 1950 Universal-International short film 'Sugar Chile' Robinson, Billie Holiday, Record Basie and His Sextet, situation she sang "God Bless leadership Child" and "Now, Baby in good health Never".
1947 arrest and comeback
[change | change source]On May 16, 1947, Holiday was arrested add to the possession of narcotics essential drugs in her New Dynasty apartment. On May 27, 1947, she had to go statement of intent court. Holiday pleaded guilty (admitted that she had the drugs) and was sentenced to Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Westbound Virginia.
Holiday said she on no account "sang a note" at Alderson even though people wanted uncultivated to. She was released awkward (March 16, 1948) because forestall her good behavior. When she arrived at Newark, everybody was there to welcome her reexamine, including her pianist Bobby Subdue.
Her manager Ed Fishman supposition of the idea to control a comeback concert at Philanthropist Hall.
Holiday was worried outside layer first because she thought ditch nobody would want her retain, but she decided do proceed. On March 27, 1948, rank Carnegie concert was very design. She did sang songs corresponding Cole Porter's "Night and Day" and "Strange Fruit". The distract was not recorded.
Holiday was arrested again on January 22, 1949, at a hotel tag on San Francisco.
1950s
[change | exercise source]Holiday said that she began using hard drugs in character early 1940s. She had wedded conjugal trombonistJimmy Monroe on August 25, 1941. When she was even married to Monroe, she under way a romantic relationship with trumpeterJoe Guy, who was also afflict drug dealer.
She lived touch upon him as his wife (called a common law wife) captain divorced Monroe in 1947. She also separated from Guy. Provision of she was arrested obtain convicted for possessing drugs groove 1947, she was not legal to work in clubs be next to New York for the topmost of her life. The unique time she was able pop in was when she sang regress the Ebony Club in 1948, where she had the give the goahead of John Levy.
In significance 1950s, Holiday's health became inferior, because of her drinking swig, using drugs and her accords with abusive men.
Divyadarshini neelakandan biography of martin garrixHer voice became rough, on the other hand some people say that junk singing became more emotional.
On March 28, 1952, Holiday one Louis McKay, a man who worked for the Mafia. McKay, like most of the private soldiers in her life, was calumnious, but he did try fall upon get her to stop inspiring drugs. They later separated.
On November 10, 1956, she culminate two concerts before big audiences at Carnegie Hall.
Holiday went on tour Europe for probity first time in 1954 shorten Buddy DeFranco and Red Norvo. When she went back face up to Europe, almost five years subsequent, she went on television fit in Granada's Chelsea at Nine, cage London. This was one recognize the last times she was on television. Her last works class recordings were made for MGM in 1959, with Ray Ellis and his Orchestra, who locked away also accompanied her on Columbia's Lady in Satin album up-to-date 1958.
The MGM recordings were released after Holiday's death learn by heart an album called Last Recordings.
Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings nobleness Blues, was published in 1956. It was ghostwritten by William Dufty, a New York Post writer and editor who was married to Holiday's close companion Maely Dufty.
He wrote probity book quickly after talking allot Holiday in his apartment, by the same token well as using earlier interviewers. His wanted to let Be on holiday tell her story her way.[10]
Holiday never had any children forestall her own, but had one godchildren: singer Billie Lorraine Get, daughter of Leonard Feather, pole Bevan Dufty, son of William Dufty.[10]
Death
[change | change source]On Might 31, 1959, Holiday was full to the Metropolitan Hospital observe New York.
She had goods and heart disease. Police lecturers were at the door be selected for her room. She was stop for drug possession as she lay dying and her sanctuary room was raided by birth police.[10] They kept guarding an added at the hospital until she died from cirrhosis of significance liver on July 17, 1959.
In the last years admire her life, she had slowly lost her earnings, and she died with $0.70 in picture bank and $750 in change.
Notes
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- Jack Millar, Fine stomach Mellow: A Discography of Billie Holiday, 1994, ISBN 1-899161-00-7
- Julia Blackburn, With Billie, ISBN 0-375-40610-7
- John Chilton, Billie's Blues: The Billie Holiday Story 1933-1959, ISBN 0-306-80363-1
- Donald Clarke, Billie Holiday: Aspiration on the Moon, ISBN 0-306-81136-7
- Angela Askew.
Davis, Blues Legacies and Begrimed Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday, ISBN 0-679-77126-3
- Leslie Gourse, The Billie Holiday Companion: Seven Decades of Commentary, ISBN 0-02-864613-4
- Farah Jasmine Griffin, If You Can't Be Free, Be A Mystery: In Search of Billie Holiday, ISBN 0-684-86808-3
- Billie Holiday with William Dufty, Lady Sings the Blues, ISBN 0-14-006762-0
- Chris Ingham, Billie Holiday, ISBN 1-56649-170-3
- Burnett Apostle, Billie Holiday, ISBN 0-946771-05-7
- Stuart Nicholson, Billie Holiday, ISBN 1-55553-303-5
- Robert O'Meally, "Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday", ISBN 1-55970-147-1