Back Billie Holiday ALS Billie Holiday AN بيلي هوليدي Arabic بيلى هوليدى ARZ Billie Holiday AST بیلی هالیدی AZB Били Холидей Bulgarian Billie Holiday BR Billie Holiday BS Billie Holiday Catalan
Billie Holiday | |
|---|---|
 Billie Holiday, 1949 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eleanora Fagan |
| Also known as | Lady Day, Queen of Song |
| Born | April 7, 1915 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Origin | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 1959 (aged 44) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, vocal 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 an American jazz singer and songwriter. She was also called "Lady Day", a nickname that her friend and musical partner Lester Young gave her. Holiday was a very important influence on jazz and pop singing. The way that she sang was similar to the way jazz musicians played their instruments. She was admired for her very personal and intimate way of singing. Critic John Bush wrote that she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever."[1]
She co-wrote some songs which have become jazz standards, like "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", and "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by other people, like "Easy Living" and "Strange Fruit".