Billie Holiday

Description

Billie Holiday was born as Eleanor Fagan in 1915. She was renamed “Lady Day” by her friend and music partner. Billie is best known for her vocal styling which she developed inspired by the phrasing of musical instruments. Although she had a limited range and did not have any musical training, her ability to improvise with her voice made her a standout among jazz singers. Her vocalization has been an inspiration to current stars like Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. Billie had massive success during the ’30s and ’40s with both Columbia and Decca Records, but by the 1940’s she struggled with drug abuse and legal problems. In the 1950s she had major success with concerts including 2 sold out concerts at Carnegie Hall. She suffered a major loss of her vocal quality after several abusive relationships, drug and alcohol abuse and overuse due to not having vocal training. She died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1959. She has had most of her music released since her death.