Have you ever heard the unique and soulful voice of Billie Holiday?

Billie Holiday was, and remains four decades after her death, the most famous of all jazz singers and a true inspiration to all people, African-
American or otherwise.

Billie had an amazing career, and lived a difficult life that was reflected in her songs. She was not the best role model, but was living proof that anyone could succeed. Although her life was short, Billie's astonishing love for music took her extremely far.

Billie Holiday was born on Wednesday, April 7, 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was born Eleanora Fagan to her unwed parents. Her mother, 13-year-old Sadie Fagan, and her father, 15-year-old Clarence Holiday, married when Billie was three. As a child, she ran errands and scrubbed floors at Alice Dean's, a "house of ill repute." That was where she first heard the music of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, her two biggest influences.

She began to sing at Harlem nightclubs when she could not get hired as a dancer. She used the stage name "Billie Holiday" after her father, who played in a band, and Billie Dove, her favorite childhood actress. She sang at the clubs from midnight until three o'clock in the afternoon for 18 months, only getting paid $2 per night.

Billie was finally recognized as a real talent by John Hammond, a famous jazz enthusiast. He then recommended her to Benny Goodman, a clarinet player who worked in the recording business at that time. It was from there that Billie's career exploded onto the jazz music scene.

One of Billie Holiday's most famous quotes is, "I can't stand to sing the same song the same way two nights in succession, let alone two or ten years. If you can, then it ain't music; it's close drill or exercise or yodeling or something, not music." Billie Holiday sang each song completely differently every night. Her voice quality was not outstanding and her vocal range was limited, but she had an amazing ability to breathe life into a song, using pauses and slurs. Her songs became famous (or notorious?) for becoming experiences or story-like, rather than simply a regular song.

Billie often sang about anti-racism, and her music was widely played on Armed Forces radio stations during World War II. She established various trademarks that followed her; for instance, the gardenias in her hair, her fingers snapping lazily to the rhythm, and the way that she would tilt her head at a slight angle as she sang.

Whether it was her unique beliefs, her startling vocal style, or perhaps what she sang about, Billie Holiday will definitely be remembered as an astonishing woman, no matter what people loved about her.

Unlike her singing, however, Billie's personal instincts were very far from perfect.

She was constantly falling in love with men who stole her money and abused her, until she turned to heroin later in her life. She was arrested and, at her own request, was committed into a federal rehabilitation establishment for one year and one day in an attempt to rid herself of the habit.

In 1947, Billie returned to heroin and was put into a state reformatory. When she was released from prison, she secretly went back to drugs. By the '50s, her ability to modify songs had enhanced, but she often missed notes. Some preferred her rather croaky sound, while others cringed and wrote terrible reviews.

To each his own, though, because Billie's career was extremely busy that year. She toured Europe and appeared in various films, a television series and a Broadway musical.

Although Billie had several personal issues, it is absolutely amazing that she continued and made something of herself. I believe that Billie Holiday proves that with effort, anyone can succeed.

The final year of Billie's life was, despite all of her drug and alcohol problems, perhaps the best year of her entire career. She was very well known in Europe, as well as in the United States.

She passed away on July 17, 1959 at the regrettably young age of 44, after being under arrest in her hospital bed since June 12 for illegal possession of narcotics. It was never known if misery, drugs, alcohol or all three are what took her life, but she passed away with a mere 70 cents in the bank and $750 strapped to her left leg.

There have been many biographies written about this unique star, and to this day, she is still incredibly famous. One thing is for certain, Billie Holiday's astonishing love for music took her very far. She will always be remembered as one of the most famous of jazz singers, and an absolute inspiration to all African-Americans, not to mention all singers and dreamers of every race, creed or color.

-Bracelet :)

References:
http://www.cmgww.com/music/holiday/
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Amphitheatre/2964/Billie.html
http://www.cmgww.com/music/holiday/bio.html

Author's Note: If you enjoyed this article, look into it yourself. There are many websites as well as encyclopaedias available that can provide the scoop on this star, as well as other celebrities throughout the ages. Have fun with learning, and don't forget to play safe! ;)