#Billie holiday stars fell on alabama full
#Billie holiday stars fell on alabama professional

Mother and child eventually settled in a poor section of Baltimore. Thrown out of her parents' home in Baltimore after becoming pregnant at thirteen, Billie's mother, Sadie Fagan, moved to Philadelphia where Billie was born. Some historians consider this an anomaly, probably inserted by a hospital or government worker. There is some controversy regarding Holiday's paternity, stemming from a copy of her birth certificate in the Baltimore archives that lists the father as a 'Frank DeViese'. At the outset of her career, she spelled her last name 'Halliday', presumably to distance herself from her neglectful father, but eventually changed it back to 'Holiday'.

#Billie holiday stars fell on alabama professional

Her professional pseudonym was taken from Billie Dove, an actress she admired, and Clarence Holiday, her probable father. Not much is known about the true details of her early life, though stories of it appeared in her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, first published in 1956 and later revealed to contain many inaccuracies. Music critic Robert Christgau called her 'uncoverable, possibly the greatest singer of the century'.Ĭritic John Bush wrote that she 'changed the art of American pop vocals forever.'īillie Holiday had a difficult childhood, which greatly affected her life and career. She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably 'God Bless the Child,' 'Don't Explain,' and 'Lady Sings the Blues.' She also became famous for singing jazz standards written by others, including 'Easy Living' and 'Strange Fruit.' Above all, she was admired for her deeply personal and intimate approach to singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Nicknamed Lady Day by her loyal friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday was a highly original influence on jazz and pop singing.

#Billie holiday stars fell on alabama full

Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan Gough, Philadelphia, PA, Ap– New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴ Billie Holiday (Eleanora Fagan Gough, Philadelphia, PA, Ap– New York City, NY, July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter.