Jazz Vocalist Billie Holiday

Musicians of the Harlem Renaissance

The music is vocal instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony and expression of emotion. The most famous music during the Renaissance is Jazz and some Rock and Roll instruments are very important during that time too it’s still important till this day. The three people I decide to tell you about are Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, and the last person I really enjoyed learning about was Louis Armstrong.

Billie Holliday was one of the most influential Jazz singers of all time. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with addition. Jazz Vocalist Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Billie had only one

amazing nickname that “Lady Day”. Holliday spent much of her Child hood in Baltimore, Maryland. Sadie (Billie’s Mother was only a teenager when she had her Billie’s father Clarence Holliday who eventually became a successful Jazz musician, playing with the likes of Fletcher Henderson. Sadly for Billie he was only a frequent visitor in her life growing up. Sadie married Phillip Gough in 1920 and for years Billie had a somewhat stable home life, until the marriage ended and Billie and her mom began struggling and sometimes Sadie would leave Billie into the care of other people. Holliday started skipping school and Billie and her mother went to court over Holliday’s truancy. She was sent to the house of Good Shepherd, a Facility for trouble African American Girls. Holiday was one of the youngest girls there. She returned to her mother’s care in August of that

same year.

She returned back to the home in 1926 after she had been sexually assaulted. In her difficult early life Holliday found solace in music, singing alone to the records of Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. Around 1930, Holiday beginning singing in local clubs and renamed herself “Billie” after the file star Billie Pove at the age of 18, Holiday was discovered by producer John Hammond while she was performing in Harlem Jazz Club. Hammond was instrumental in getting Holiday recording with and up-and-coming Clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goudman. In 1934 they released 2 hits “Your Mother’s Son in-law” and the top ten hit “Ruffin the Scotch” October 1945 Holiday’s mother died and she began drinking more heavily and escalated the drug used to dose her grief. Holiday’s drug caused her a great professional set back that same year. She was arrested and conviction for narcotic possession in 1947. Sentenced to one year and a day of jail times. Holiday went to federal rehabilitation facility in Alderson, West Virginia. On July 17, 1959, Holiday died from alcohol and drug related complication. More than 3000 people turned out to say good-bye to Lady Day at her funeral held in St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church on July 21, 1959. In 2000 Holiday inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Billie Holiday Biography)

Cab Calloway III on December 25, 1907 in Rochester, New York, the son of Cabell Calloway a lawyer who also worked in real-estate and Martha Eulaia Reed a public

school Reed a public school teacher and church organist. Cab grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and started singing and where his lifelong love of visiting racetracks. His father died around 1920’s and his mother married John Nelson fortune, who held a season of respectable jobs. Cabell