BILLIE HOLIDAY

Billie Holiday

Billie Holiday

Introduction

Billie Holiday was an American swing vocalist and songwriter (James, Burnett, 1984). Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her ally and melodious colleague Lester Young, Holiday was a seminal leverage on swing and burst singing. Her vocal method, powerfully motivated by swing instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo (James, Burnett, 1984).

 

Early Life

Born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Sadie Harris, she had a tough childhood. Her dad was Clarence Halliday (Holiday), a musician. Her parents not ever wed neither dwelled together. Her mother Sarah Julia "Sadie" Harris (later Fagan) had been expelled ...