1. Billie Holiday- «Lady Day » April 7, 1915- July 17, 1959
Amanda DeRose-Oliver
Music-1040
“I do not think I’m singing, I feel like I’m playing a horn. What comes out is what I feel. I hate straight singing, I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That is all I know”
Intro: I chose Billie Holiday for my final because not only did she revolutionize the Jazz industry but, she did it with a class and grace that most people enduring the same treatment could never have survived. Before Billie, jazz usually was based more on the instruments with very little vocals. Jazz was born from the blues, paying more attention to instruments such as those used in a marching band. Blues used more vocals and the goal of the jazz musician was to use their instruments to mimic the voice in the blues through the instrument’s that they played. There are all different types of blues such as classic blues, urban blues, and contemporary blues. Typically the blues are about human condition such as romantic relationships’ and human hardships. Billie had a way of using her voice like a Jazz instrument with her voice slowly lagging behind the beat of the song and emphasizing extreme emotion through her vocal tones. It was said that Billie could bring the audience to tears with the emotion she could bellow out in a song. Billie brought jazz enthusiast’s to watch because of her ability to “sing” jazz music. It was a first time that people came to hear a voice instead of an instrument. She was said to sound just like a saxophone. It seems to be a debate as to if Billie sang the blues or played Jazz. She was so unique in her sound, it was truly hard to tell. Because of her lyrics and free style blues form, she was thought to sing the blues. Truly though, Billie sang the instruments of Jazz, incorporating the harsh realities of life but reflecting triumph in her songs as well. She wrote songs such as “Billie’s Blue’s”, Tell me More”, “Everything Happens for the Best” as well as many more. She also played the saxophone and the piano even though she could not read sheet music. Billie was most known for her singing however. Billie typically would sing the refrain but incorporated a longer vocal que to jazz than most musicians of the time. It is said that Billie is the best Jazz singer of all time.

2. Child Hood
Elanora Fagan; Born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia to Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday.
At the age of 10 years old, she was raped by an older man. Saying it was provoked, she was forced to go live at The Good Shepard Center in Halethorpe, a place for emotionally and behaviorally problematic girls.
At the age of 13 she was arrested for prostitution.
She began singing clubs and bars to support herself and her sick mother.
She was born Elanora Fagan in Philadelphia. Her mother and father never married. Billie’s mother could not support her, so Billie was often shuffled around as a child. By the age of 10, Billie was listening to records at the brothel located near her home. She washed floors and ran errand’s in exchange for her record time. That is when she heard Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. She was raped by an older man that year. It was decided that she had “provoked” the rape and was sent to live at The Good Shepard Center for emotionally and problematic girls. After she returned from The Good Shepard in 1927, her mother had her live with her in New York. Without realizing it, they were living in a brothel where Billie began to prostitute at the young age of 13. When she rejected a prominent man, she and her mother were arrested for prostitution. After her release from the work house, she began singing to help pay the bills. Her mother was sick and could no longer work. She began singing at drinking bars and was known for wearing long white evening dresses and large white gardenia's in her hair.

3. Elanora Fagan changed her name to Billie Holiday after her favorite actress Billie Dove and her fathers sur name. Her biggest influences were Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong.
By the early 1930’s she appeared in several Harlem clubs with singer Lawrence Jackson. By 1933 she was singing in a bar called Covan’s, which is where talent scout/record producer John Hammond watched her sing. He put her together with big Jazz musicians of the time such as Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Ben Webster, and Roy Eldridge and Count Bassie and he helped her recorded her first record. Among many of the great bands that Billie played with was the Artie Shaw Band. This was one of the first large audience, all white bands that had a black female vocalist!! Although Artie tried to protect Billie from the racism, it became too much for her after being forced to use the back entrance of a Manhattan club she called it quits with the band and the tour. This was shortly after her and Artie were featured on a live radio show.

4. ‘Lady Day’ Made her first record with producer John Hammond.
Given the nickname “Lady Day” by tenor man Lester Young.
Sang the song “Strange fruit” at The Café Society, a club that played both white and black music artist concerts.
Even with white people objecting the song, it became a hit!
Sax player Lester Young gave her the nickname “lady Day” in She nicknamed him “Prez”, once being quoted while talking about him as being “The greatest mother fucker she had ever met”. Some people believe he was always her truest love. Lester died four months after Billie. Billie was known for being crass with her first and last word always being “Bitch.” She was also known to be soft hearted, funny, and generous.

5. ‘Duke Ellington's- Symphony in Black’; A cinematic account of Afro-American culture.
Listen for:
-heavy syncopation
-voice lags behind the beat
-collective improvisation of many instruments.
19 tear old Billie’s first large audience viewed cinema performance.
Sang the second song of the performance called “The Triangle”; also known as the “saddest song”.
Billie plays a jilted and abused lover. Very similar to her own life.
Performed for only a few bars, but stirred great emotion in the audience.
Duke Ellington’s Symphony in black was created to portray African American culture in the United States during the 30’s. He composed music to the images in his mind, and created a movie combining his music with his images. As soon as heard the then 19 year old Billie’s voice, he knew she was perfect for the role. There were four parts to the performance; “The Laborers”, “The Triangle” starring Billie Holiday, “A Hymn of Sorrow” and “Harlem Rhythm.” Billie commented that she was black and blue after doing so many retakes on that scene. She was so young yet, had already lived far too much pain and sorrow at the hands of the men that she choose to love and be with. Billie always sung from the heart which gave her the “blues” style to her jazz. Although she shows great sadness through her music, she herself always remained strong. .

6. ‘Strange Fruit-’ 1939
Jazz and Blues song
A protest song about the southern lynching’s of black people.
Originally written by Abel Meeropol; (ghost name ‘Lewis Allen’), a white man from New York.
Played at The Café Society in Greenwich Village. They catered to both black and white performers.
Listen for:
-slow-pace singing with voice just behind the beat.
-voice sound mimics horn instrument
-protest song
-jazz standard

7. Billie’s Blues: Drugs and alcohol
May 1947: arrested for possession of narcotics. She served nearly 10 months.
Ten days after her release she played Carnegie Hall for her first time, this was in March of 1948.
Sold-out show-2,700 tickets pre-sold. The record for Carnegie Hall at the time.
The Cabaret system of the 1940’s prevented anyone with “bad character” from working on licensed premises.
Worked only theaters and concert halls for her last 12 years.
Billie’s need to be with violent, cheating men they say comes from her own broken childhood full of neglect, rape, abuse, and prostitution. Billie’s husbands and managers seemed to always use and abuse the “giving to a fault”, Billie. She was sold out to the Narcotics enforcement by husband and manager John Levy. Law enforcement at the time wanted to bust Billie because of her popularity and publicity during this time. There is rumor that Billie was not as “hard core” of a drug user as was believed. Her poison was more alcohol. During this time however there was a big stand on drug enforcement, it was the Hoover era. Billie Holiday was charged multiple times by the police from 1947 to the day she died. There have been several interviews that indicate that Billie was “set up” and “sold out” by either the police or a man. The public called the case: The United States against Billie Holiday. To be a successful black woman during this time must have really angered a lot of the wrong people, and Billie paid the price. The cops and F.B.I. agents were harassing her, and even heckling her at her performances. Under The Cabaret act, they took away her ability to play at any establishments that held a license or served alcohol, leaving her to play at theaters and concert halls only. This did not discourage Billie, she played for Carnegie Hall in it’s first sold out performance only 10 days after her release from prison. Not being able to escape the bad men or the police, or the drugs and alcohol, Billie’s health began to deteriorate. .

8. ‘lady Sings the Blues’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzgG8jtymCU
Lady Sings The Blues is the title of Billie’s autobiography that was co-written by friend William Duffy.
Performed in 1956 at Carnegie Hall- Two sold out shows!! This was incredible considering the practiced segregation occurring at this time in America.
On July 17, 1959, with more debt then money due to horrible men in her life and being guarded by police for yet more drug suspicion, The beautiful Billie Holiday died.
*This Song speaks of Billies life; teenage prostitution, drug/alcohol abuse, abusive men, jail time, and corupt cops without self pity.
*Billie and Herbie Nichols wrote ‘Lady sings the blues’.
*Billie also wrote or co-wrote; ‘God Bless the Child’ (inducted into the NARAS Hall Of Fame in 1941), ‘Don’t Explain ’, and ‘Fine and Mellow’ as well as others.
Listen for:
-free style blues form
-Heavy syncopation
-trajic melody
-voice carry’s with the instruments.
In November of 1956, Billie sang two sold out shows at Carnegie Hall. This was quiet an accomplishment for a black woman to pull off during a segregated period of time in America. Her show was said to be soulful, passionate, and brilliantly performed. She really reached out to her audience. Billie Holiday died from complications resulting from cirrhosis of the liver on July 17, 1959 in a hospital bed with cops garding her door awaiting her arrest on drug charges again. She died with more debt than money because of her last husband and with the cops still holding a vengeance that they made this very classy woman feel to the end of her life. This beautiful woman was denied burial at St. Patricks' Cathedral because of her “out law ways”. This world did not get this beautiful woman with a “soulful”, “bluesy-jazz” voice for nearly long enough, she is greatly loved and missed still by musicians and music lovers of all kinds to this day. Her unique Jazz/pop standard was innovative to jazz then, and still is now..

9. July 17, 1959

10. Bibliography
Blair, Elizabeth. <em>The Strange Story Of The Man Behind 'Strange Fruit'.</em>. NPR, Web. < Ember, Steve, and Shirley Griffith. <em>Billie Holiday :The Lady Sang The Blues</em>. Web. The Official Billie Holiday Site <em>The Official Site of Lady Day</em>. Web. < Hagen, Kathleen. <em>Billie Holiday:Wishing on the Moon</em>. Web. <books.google.com/books?isbn= >. Hamlin, Jessie. <em>Billie Holiday's Autobiography, "Lady Sings the Blues"</em>. Web. < Kempton,Arthur.<em>StreetDiva</em>. Web. < Soulpatrol, Soul patrol. <em>Billy Holiday-Duke Ellington-Video Daily Motion</em>. Web. < Yanow, Scott. <em>Billies Blues [Blue Note]</em>. Web. <

11. Youtube Video, Lady Sings The Blues. www. youtube. com/watch
Youtube Video, Lady Sings The Blues. Youtube video, Strange Fruit