Billie Holiday: Born 100 Years Ago Today

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Billie
Tuesday, April 7th marks the 100th birthday of Billie Holiday; an American jazz vocalist of incalculable influence and importance.

Born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, “Lady Day” first rose to prominence while living and singing in New York’s Harlem neighborhood. She led a famously turbulent life — far too rich and complex to recount adequately in this space — but one which informed and enriched her powerful and innovative music.

The Web is chockablock with resources from which you can learn more about her life and remarkable legacy; a roadmap to the best of which can be found by clicking her highlighted name above and visiting Billie’s PeekYou profile.

To start you on your way, here’s a remarkable performance of “Fine and Mellow”, live on CBS-TV — accompanied by a number of fellow legends such as saxophonists Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins — in 1957.