Eleanora Fagan, known professionally as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.
| Birth name: | Eleanora Fagan |
| Also known as: | Lady Day |
| Born: | April 7, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died: | July 17, 1959, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres: | Jazz, swing |
| Occupation(s): | Singer |
| Years active: | c. 1930–1959 |
| Labels: | Brunswick, Vocalion, Okeh, Bluebird, Commodore, Capitol, Decca, Aladdin, Verve, Columbia, MGM |
| Associated acts: | Jimmy Rowles, Louis Armstrong, Mal Waldron, Teddy Wilson, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Lester Young, Tony Scott |
| Twitter: | Billie Holiday's Twitter profile |
| Facebook: | Billie Holiday's Facebook profile |
| IMDb: | Billie Holiday's IMDb |
| Spotify: | Billie Holiday's Spotify |
| SoundCloud: | Billie Holiday's SoundCloud |
| iTunes: | Billie Holiday's iTunes |
About Billie Holiday
American jazz singer and songwriter who sang "Strange Fruit," "Easy Living," and "Lady Sings the Blues." She received numerous awards, including being inducted into the Grammy Award Hall of Fame.
Billie Holiday Before Fame
She went to New York City, where she and her mother both ended up in prostitution and were later sent to prison.
Achievement of Billie Holiday
After her release from prison at age fourteen, she began singing under the stagename Billie Holiday. Holiday's name came from Billie Dove, an actress, and the man she believed to be her father, Clarence Holiday.
Billie Holiday Family Life
She married Jimmy Monroe on August 25, 1941 and, after their divorce in 1957, she married Louis McKay on March 28, 1957.
Associations of Billie Holiday
She was good friends with fellow jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald.