Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed Lady Day by her loyal friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday was a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Above all, she was admired for her deeply personal and intimate approach to singing. Critic John Bush wrote that she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever." 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."
Biography
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Links & Information
Links
- Wikipedia article on Billie Holiday
- IMDb at imdb.com/name/nm0390507
- MySpace at myspace.com/billieholiday
- Online community at facebook.com/BillieHoliday
- Last.fm page on Billie Holiday
- MusicBrainz entry on Billie Holiday
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BBC Reviews 
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Lady Day Swings
Reviewed by Niky Daley
...if swing ain't your thing then Lady Day Swings is unlikely to be your favourite...
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