Billie Holiday

Date of Birth: April 7, 1915

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: July 17, 1959

Biography

Billie Holiday, born Eleanora Fagan, was an iconic American jazz and swing music singer, often considered one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Born on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Holiday had a tumultuous early life. She grew up in poverty and faced numerous personal challenges, including a troubled childhood marked by parental absence and abuse. Holiday began her professional singing career in the 1930s and quickly rose to fame with her unique vocal style, which was heavily influenced by jazz instrumentalists. She worked with some of the most notable musicians of her time, including Count Basie, Artie Shaw, and Lester Young, who famously gave her the nickname “Lady Day.” Her career peaked in the late 1930s and 1940s with hits like “Strange Fruit,” “God Bless the Child,” and “Lover Man.” Despite her professional success, Holiday’s personal life was marred by substance abuse, legal troubles, and tumultuous relationships. Billie Holiday’s legacy endures through her recordings and the profound impact she had on both jazz and popular music. She passed away on July 17, 1959, in New York City, at the age of 44 due to complications from cirrhosis of the liver.

5 Interesting Facts about Billie Holiday

1. Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit” is a haunting protest against the lynching of African Americans and is considered one of the first protest songs in American history.

2. She was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1973.

3. Holiday struggled with heroin addiction for much of her life and was even imprisoned for drug-related offenses.

4. She was one of the first black women to work with a white orchestra when she joined Artie Shaw’s band in 1938.

5. The nickname “Lady Day” was given to her by her close friend and musical partner, Lester Young.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Billie Holiday

1. “I never hurt nobody but myself and that’s nobody’s business but my own.”

2. “You can’t copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you’re working without any real feeling.”

3. “If I’m going to sing like someone else, then I don’t need to sing at all.”

4. “Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know what’s more than enough.”

5. “No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the height of her career, Billie Holiday’s net worth was estimated to be around $1,000,000 in today’s dollars, though she faced significant financial difficulties throughout her life.