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“No two people on earth are alike, and it’s got to be that way in music or it isn’t music,” -Billie Holiday. (PBS) Billie Holiday was one of the most famous blues and jazz artists of her time and still is today, but there are many people who only know her for her music and know nothing of her past. Given the fact that her life was not perfect by any means, Holiday would never had made the impact that she did if she were to have lived any differently.
Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was born to Sarah Fagan, who was just thirteen years of age when she gave birth to young Billie. Her father was Clarence Holiday, who was also only fifteen at the time of her birth. Also a musician himself, Clarence
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During her first marriage to a man named Johnnie Monroe, Billie began smoking, and became addicted to opium. After their divorce she married Joe Guy, and became addicted to heroin, as well. (All Music) Sadly on July 17, 1959, these drugs finally caught up to her, and Billie Holiday lost her battle to her addictions, dying at the young age of 44. Holiday was admitted to the hospital for both liver and heart problems. She was so addicted to heroin that she was even arrested for possession while in the hospital. (Biography) Her funeral was later held in the St. Paul in the Apostle Roman Catholic Church on July 21, 1959 where over 3,000 people came to say goodbye to the legend known as Billie Holiday. Though her body is gone, her free spirit lives on forever. Holiday was one of the great women in her generation that, though her difficult past and dealing with her burdensome childhood, changed the face of music for all of eternity. “You can't copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you're working without any real feeling,” -Billie Holiday. (AZ Quotes) She may no longer be creating music, but her sound will never die. In fact, it is used in many of today’s movies and television shows, all the while introducing today’s youth to her amazing talent. For example, her song “Miss Brown to You,” was used in the 1995 movie Clueless, and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love,” in the 1999 …show more content…
That song is “Gloomy Sunday”. The song isn’t hers originally, but i think she sings it best. I had listened to this song before I had even known about the research paper, and it has been on of my favorite songs ever since. Now, obviously, the song has a gloomy, almost disturbing feel to it. Just the instrumental part will give you an eerie feeling, but Billie’s voice really brings the whole song together. Honestly, for me there is no way to describe how phenomenal her voice is. I hear her music and instantly get goosebumps. The lyrics to some of her songs, such as “Strange Fruit,” are also just so meaningful and serious. She really just was an amazing artist overall.
Billie Holiday is a true representation of how important it is to be able to find yourself. Even though she was raised in poverty and sadness, she was still able to make something of herself. The life Billie lived truly shaped her into the strong woman she became and will forever be remembered as an infinite
Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), professionally known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz artist and artist musician with a vocation traversing almost thirty years. Nicknamed "Woman Day" by her companion and music accomplice Lester Young, Holiday affected jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, firmly propelled by jazz instrumentalists, spearheaded another method for controlling stating and rhythm. She was known for her vocal conveyance and improvisational aptitudes, which compensated for her restricted range and absence of formal music instruction. There were other jazz vocalists with equivalent ability, however Holiday had a voice that caught the consideration of her crowd.
Josephine Baker Josephine Baker was an African American woman who had to overcome discrimination and abuse in achieving her dream of becoming a singer and dancer. She did this during the 1920s, when African Americans faced great discrimination. She had a hard childhood. Her personal life was not easy to handle. Furthermore, she overcame poverty and racism to achieve her career dream.
Josephine Baker was an exceptional woman who never depended on a man. She never hesitated to leave a man when she felt good and ready. In her lifetime she accomplished many great things. She adopted 12 children, served France during World War II, and was an honorable correspondent for the French Resistance. She fought against fascism in Europe during World War II and racism in the United States. She grew up poor and left home at an early age and worked her way onto the stage. Baker was more popular in France than in the states. Audiences in America were racist towards Baker and that’s when she vowed she wouldn’t perform in a place that wasn’t integrated.
In 1933 Billie audition as a dancer when she was 18, but the judges said she was not good enough so they asked her if she could sing-she could. In 1939 Billy sang at a café called Café Society and the song was “Strange Fruit”. Holiday wanted the song to be recorded but it was forbidden because it was “too inflammatory” Strange Fruit is a song about racism. She did not want to sing it on many radio stations because they banned all the intense words in the song. She could have been killed by the Koo Klucks Klan if she sang that song. Promoters objected Billie Holiday because of her race. The style of her voice-often tries to sound like a horn instrument because she likes the sliding sound. She refused to sing like other singers. Billie slyly said on a radio interview,”I always wanted to sound like an instrument.” She changed her name to Billie Holiday because her favorite film star, Billie Dove. In 1944 Billie Holiday received the Esquire Magazine Gold Award for Best Leading Female Vocalist. She would then receive some more awards in the following years to come. She got the nickname “Lady Day”. She was discovered by John Hammond, a young producer at Monette’s, a Harlem night club. When he heard Billie’s voice he was
The movie Lady Day: The Many Faces Of Billie Holiday paints an interesting, and thought provoking portrait of one of jazz and blues most charismatic, and influential artists. The incomparable talent of Billie Holiday, both truth and legend are immortalized in this one-hour documentary film. The film follows Holiday, also referred to as “Lady Day” or “Lady”, through the many triumphs and trials of her career, and does it’s very best to separate the facts from fiction. Her autobiography Lady Sings The Blues is used as a rough guide of how she desired her life story to be viewed by her public. Those who knew her, worked with her, and loved her paint a different picture than this popular, and mostly fictional autobiography.
Throughout history, and even today, music has shaped America’s culture, society, and even politics. One of the most outstanding and enduring musical movement has been from African American artists, ranging from bebop to jazz to hip-hop to rap. During the 1920’s , jazz artists stepped into the limelight and began their impact on American and even world history. Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential leaders during the Harlem Renaissance and his jazz legacy and impact of American history is everlasting. A master of his craft, Armstrong and his music heavily influenced America’s white and black populations from the 1920’s and up until his death.
Bessie Smith impacted Billie Holiday because Holiday learned a lot through Smith’s records by thinking that Smith was kind of a teacher. Even though Billie Holiday did not have a voice as powerful as Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday’s musical interpretations and phrasing were similar to Bessie Smith. Frank Sinatra was impacted by Bessie Smith because he believed that she was an early blues genius. Sinatra’s voice was more polished than Smith’s voice, but he did find inspiration in the emotions she sang with in the records. Bessie Smith was a highly influential artist that had the power to help people with their music even after her death proving that she truly is “The Empress of Blues” ("Bessie Smith"
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday were both prominent jazz singer-songwriters during the same time and masters in their own right, but their worlds could not have been further apart. In 1939, while they were both in the midst of experiencing mainstream success, Ella was touring with Ella and her Famous Orchestra and showcasing her perfect pitch and tone to the world while singing songs that would soon become standards to fellow singers and musicians. Billie was singing solo, comfortable with her limited range, and gaining the adoration of audiences nationwide who loved her soulful voice. Both of these historic singers made contributions to the art of jazz, with vocalists and instrumentalists still using elements of their style today. Ella
In 1862, William Ashley (yes, his middle name was Ashley) Sunday was born to a fatherless home in Ames, Iowa. His father had died whilst serving for his divided country in the Civil War. Billy had received his name from his brave and valiant father.
According to Ruth Feldstein “Nina Simone recast black activism in the 1960’s.” Feldstein goes on to say that “Simone was known to have supported the struggle for black freedom in the United States much earlier, and in a more outspoken manner around the world than many other African American entertainers.” Her family ties to the south, her unique talent, her ability to travel and make money are similar to the Blues women movement that preceded her. It can be said that Nina Simone goes a step further the by directly attacking inequities pertaining to race and gender in her music. However, what distinguishes her is her unique musicianship and that is what ultimately garners her massive exposure and experiences over those of her past contemporaries.
Aretha Franklin is a well known pop, R&B, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed “The Queen of Soul” and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs “I Never Loved a Man”, “Respect”, and “Baby I Love You.” Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered.
He was known as the Father of Jazz. He was most notable as an entertainer, however, he was a soloist that provided improvisations in regards to tunes. Louis Armstrong's “What a Wonderful World” is the first song that comes to many minds when discussing jazz. He is also well known for his scat singing, However, he also had a political side. In his song “What Did I Do To Be So Black and Blue,” Armstrong talks about the color of his skin as a bad thing and how blacks were treated. In World War II he fulfilled by performing for the soldiers during a recording
Without a doubt there is one major performer that certainly stands out within our pop culture world. The name of this very famous American icon is, Dolly Parton. Dolly has surpassed any rags to riches story that ever lived. She has touched the lives of so many individuals over many decades through her many talents. Dolly started her career at a very young age and continued fulfilling her life endeavors through country music, pop music, and even acting. This American icon didn’t stop with just her talents, she also gave back to our society through charity, fundraising, and establishing her own theme park. Dolly Parton was brought up in a very poor family, however through much dedication she became the famous icon everyone idolized today.
Billie Jean (Johnson) Staton was not like any other teenager. Her childhood was not as easy as it should have been. She was born on July 21, 1934 in West Virgina. She became an adult a lot sooner than she should have been. Her childhood was shorter than a child’s should be.
She died of a suicide and she that because at a certain point in her life she had enough of suffering.