THE MUSIC OF BILLIE HOLIDAY ON ADAGIO and WPVM 103.7
Billie Holiday, known affectionately as Lady Day, remains one of the most revered jazz vocalists in history. Her voice, a smoky and soulful instrument, carried the weight of her own trials and tribulations, as well as those of her community. Though her life was cut short by her battle with substance abuse, her legacy endures as a symbol of resilience and artistry.
Born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (though some sources suggest Baltimore, Maryland), Holiday’s childhood was marked by instability and struggle. Her mother, Sadie, was just a teenager when she gave birth to Holiday, and her father, Clarence Holiday, a talented jazz musician, was largely absent from her life.
Despite these challenges, Holiday found solace in music from an early age. She began singing in Harlem nightclubs as a teenager and soon caught the attention of bandleader Benny Goodman. With her signature song, “Strange Fruit,” a haunting meditation on the horrors of lynching, she became an icon of the civil rights movement.
Holiday’s personal life was often tumultuous, with struggles against poverty, racism, and addiction. Her autobiography, which was later adapted into the film Lady Sings the Blues, chronicled these hardships and revealed a complex and deeply human figure.
In 2000, Holiday was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a testament to her enduring influence on popular music. Despite the challenges she faced, her voice remains a powerful reminder of the beauty and pain that can be found in the human experience.
For an hour of Billie Holiday’s life on this show from Drew Darling of Adagio listen here.
At the age of 18, Billie Holiday was discovered by the discerning ear of producer John Hammond as she performed at a Harlem jazz club. Hammond was instrumental in launching Holiday’s career, securing her recording work with an emerging clarinetist and bandleader, Benny Goodman.
In the company of Goodman, she lent her vocals to several tracks, including her very first commercial release, “Your Mother’s Son-In-Law,” and the 1934 hit “Riffin’ the Scotch,” which rose to the top 10.
Renowned for her inimitable phrasing and emotive, at times melancholic voice, Holiday proceeded to collaborate with jazz pianist Teddy Wilson and other musicians in 1935. She made several singles, among them “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Miss Brown to You.” In that same year, Holiday featured alongside Duke Ellington in the film Symphony in Black.
Around this period, she crossed paths with and formed a lasting bond with saxophonist Lester Young, who intermittently played in Count Basie’s orchestra over the years. Young even resided with Holiday and her mother, Sadie, for some time. In 1937, Young christened Holiday with the moniker “Lady Day” — a label that would stick with her for years to come. In turn, she affectionately referred to him as “Prez,” signifying her profound admiration.
Holiday hit the road with the Count Basie Orchestra in 1937. The following year, she teamed up with Artie Shaw and his ensemble. Notably, with Shaw, Holiday made history as one of the first female African American vocalists to collaborate with a white orchestra. However, promoters disapproved of Holiday, both for her race and her unconventional vocal style, leading to her departure from the orchestra in frustration.
Venturing out on her own, Holiday graced the stage at New York’s Café Society, where she honed some of her signature stage persona, complete with gardenias in her hair and a head thrown back while singing. It was here that she unveiled two of her most iconic songs, “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit.” The latter, a powerful narrative about the lynching of African Americans in the South, was initially met with disinterest by Columbia, her record label at the time.
Her impact on the cultural landscape was indelible. But oh, the raw emotional pull of her music, it was simply otherworldly. And yet, it all stemmed from a desperately chaotic lifestyle that Lady Day seemed unable to tame.
Listen to the show linked above for much more about Billie Holiday’s life. What a fierce woman she was, and her legacy will endure.
Tune in to Drew Darling’s Adagio show on WPVM. Tuesday at 5:00 PM and Sunday at 10:00 AM.
