Take a look at my GIrl...aint she sad.

[frenchmon]

Take a look at my girl...its a shame the way her life ended....a junky and broke, and may I add...broken down. But I love her...she is really mine in my heart. Move your mouse over the picture and take a close up look at her face....she looks really older than she looks. She died age 44. Heroin and booze and those who used her for gain did her in. It was really the low lifes who kept her shot-up and used her like a pimp who are to blame. But Billy lives on in my heart.

PoppaC you got any Billy Holiday in your collection??? You cant be an JAZZ audiophile or Jazz music lover with out some Billy in your collection, She is an acquired taste, she grows on you once you stat to figure out music ...and with todays mastering you can get some pretty good recordings as well. And she sang with all the old big shots playing being hind her. Basie, Woody Herman, Glen Miller, Duke Ellington,The Prez Lester Young, Lucky Thompson, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Charlie Park, Dizzy, Dexter Gordon... and just about every body else who was something back in the 40's and 50's. And may I add...she was loved all over the world and sang all over the world.

http://www.allposters.com/gallery.as...llie%20Holiday

[JohnMichael]

She was a queen on stage and then off stage mistreated as a black woman of the times. She knew the pain she sang about. I can understand her needing to dull the emotional pain she experienced. You are right you have to own some Lady Day if you love jazz. Her version of Strange Fruit can bring a tear to your eye.

[poppachubby]

noob loves Billy Holiday, you should chat with him. I have "Essential" on CD but that's it. Actually, my system does female vocals better than anything else. I was just listening to Norah Jones on my CDP not too long ago today.

Yes it's a shame about her demise. Smack was the drug of choice for alot ot those jazz types. I was saying to noob that if your collection only included artists who suffered heroin addiction, it would be a strong one.

Chet Baker really went down the tubes too. He had the looks of a movie star as a young man. Musical ability and success. Wasted. He too looked about twice his age. The way he died really makes me sad, when you consider all of that beautiful music.

[frenchmon]

She was a queen on stage and then off stage mistreated as a black woman of the times. She knew the pain she sang about. I can understand her needing to dull the emotional pain she experienced. You are right you have to own some Lady Day if you love jazz. Her version of Strange Fruit can bring a tear to your eye.

JM...what you wrote sorta brought tears to my eyes. I can feel your passion for her through what you wrote. Thanks for your kind reply.

Its not only listening to Strange Fruit, but to know the story behind her singing it and the audiences response to her after she got done singing it makes it all the more special.

[poppachubby]

I have this...

[frenchmon]

noob loves Billy Holiday, you should chat with him. I have "Essential" on CD but that's it. Actually, my system does female vocals better than anything else. I was just listening to Norah Jones on my CDP not too long ago today.

Yes it's a shame about her demise. Smack was the drug of choice for alot ot those jazz types. I was saying to noob that if your collection only included artists who suffered heroin addiction, it would be a strong one.

Chet Baker really went down the tubes too. He had the looks of a movie star as a young man. Musical ability and success. Wasted. He too looked about twice his age. The way he died really makes me sad, when you consider all of that beautiful music.

Sorry Paps you and I are boys...but Her story is different from Bakers and most certainly Norah does not belong in the same conversation.

Billy is a very important figure in American music. What she did with her singing was revolutionary. What she did is regarded as being a"very important part of the Jazz vocals libraray." She also was the very first black female to play with a white orchestra....Artie Shaw.. and her first recording was with Benny Goodman. It was really racially segregated back in those days. Her frazeing...tempo, improvising and emotion change everything about female Jazz vocals...and as a result mostly all female singer of that time tried to do what she did with the music, but Billy was really hurt and torn upon the inside...it became part of her and as John Michaels rightly pointed out...she boozed... often times helping her get over pain. But there where also the wolves who took over her career, kept her full of Heroin and took her money..for the most part she was used and abused. Her own mother abandoned her time and time again, she was raped at about age 11, then she became a whore in a whore house, thown in jail and ten discovered at age 18 singing in a club. Most of the men she dated and the two she married abused her...one husband who also was a trumpet player was also her drug supplier...he kept her full of drugs and took advantage of her talents for his own gain. It was towards the end of her career that all the abuse from drugs booze and abusive men that caused her poor health...physically as well as emotionally. It came through her singing loud and clear that she was in great pain. And many of her songs where sad songs at that. She had a very distinctive life as well as a very distinctive voice....especially at the end of her life when it was full of sorry.

[JohnMichael]

Here is a link from Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

[frenchmon]

Man...I think by the time she sang that one it was then understood and well received. I read that the first time she sang it was in a night club before an all white audience in about 1938 or 39. The only blacks where those in the band. The audience was said to be completely silent after she got done singing it and she had a few tears in her eyes. Many in the audience had no idea what the song was about. Not a drop of sound in the entire night club after she got done singing it. She then started walking off the stage when all of a sudden some one in the back of the club started clapping. then another started clapping And then the entire audience stood up and clapped as they where over taken by emotion.

[JohnMichael]

Man...I think by the time she sang that one it was then understood and well received. I read that the first time she sang it was in a night club before an all white audience in about 1938 or 39. The only blacks where those in the band. The audience was said to be completely silent after she got done singing it and she had a few tears in her eyes. Many in the audience had no idea what the song was about. Not a drop of sound in the entire night club after she got done singing it. She then started walking off the stage when all of a sudden some one in the back of the club started clapping. then another started clapping And then the entire audience stood up and clapped as they where over taken by emotion.

Yes that is the story I had read and I believe it to be true. I just wanted to add the link for those who have never heard the song.

[frenchmon]

I too believe it to be true as well. Its a sad clip...you could see she is wornout. Thanks for posting it.

[frenchmon]

I have this...

Well there you have it.You have proven yourself to the brethern..... You are a real true Jazz audio hobbyist PoppaC. Welcome to the club.

(You know I am only poking fun at you)