BILLIE HOLIDAY: THE LEGACY OF LADY DAY
Early Life
Billie Holiday was born with the name Eleanora Fagan on April 7th , and it is believed that her father was Clarence Holiday, who was himself a jazz musician. Her father left when she was just a baby and her mother, Sadie Fagan, was only a teenager herself. Billie reportedly faced many hardships during childhood and was ultimately sent to The House of Good Shepherd, a facility for ‘troubled’ girls, at the age of 9. She eventually moved to New York with her mother and began singing in local clubs in , around which time she reportedly took on the stage name Billie after the silent film star Billie Dove.
The Beginning of her Career
Whilst performing in jazz clubs across Harlem, Billie was introduced to Benny Goodman, a famous clarinetist and bandleader who was nicknamed the ‘King of Swing’. It was with Goodman and his orchestra that Billie released her first records, including ‘Your Mother’s Son-In-Law’ and ‘Riffin’ the Scotch’, which made it into the Top 10 in Billie bagged herself a record deal with Brunswick Records in and began recording with “the definitive swing pianist”, Teddy Wilson. It was at this time she also appea
Father: Clarence Holiday
Mother: Sadie Harris (later "Sadie Fagan")
Boyfriend:Orson Welles (actor/film director)
Girlfriend:Tallulah Bankhead (actress)
Boyfriend: John Levy
Husband: Jimmy Monroe (m. Aug, div. )
Boyfriend: Joe Guy (common law husband, separated )
Husband: Louis McKay (m. Mar, until her death)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (pioneer)
Hollywood Walk of Fame N. Vine St. (recording)
unknown detox facility
Raped
Prostitution Harlem, NY
Drug Possession: Heroin
Inmate: Alderson Federal Prison Camp ()
Drug Possession: Heroin San Francisco, CA Jan, acquitted
Drug Paraphernalia Possession San Francisco, CA Jan, acquitted
Billie Holiday,
"I don't think I ever sing the same way twice. The blues is sort of a mixed-up thing. You just have to feel it. Anything I do sing is part of my life."
The Child: Eleanora “Billie Holiday” Fagan
Eleanora Fagan, the soulful songstress we know today as Billie Holiday, was born to Sarah Julia “Sadie” Fagan and Clarence Halliday in Philadelphia, PA. Billie's mother, Sadie, did not have support from her own parents who lived in Baltimore, so she made arrangements for young Billie to stay with her Baltimorean half sister, Eva Miller & Eva’s mother-in-law Martha Miller.
For the first 10 years of her life, Billie Holiday was cared for mostly by others, because her mother had taken a traveling job with the railroad.
Billie frequently skipped school and when she was 9 years old, she was sent to a Catholic “reform” school. She was released later that year () into the custody of her mother. Soon after, Billie’s mother moved to New York City for employment, and Billie joined her there in
Though Billie’s life was not an easy one, she found escape in music and was soon recognized for her incredible singing style and interpretation of songs. Early
Who Are Billie Holiday's Parents? The Jazz Icon Had a Troubled Childhood
The latest Hulu film The United States vs. Billie Holidayfollows the troubled jazz singer's ups and downs, being targeted by the feds for her substance abuse issues, and the impact her anti-lynching ballad "Strange Fruit" had on the world.
The biopic starring Andra Day explores the iconic singer's drug arrests, abusive relationships, her relationship with actress Tallulah Bankhead, jail stints, and more.
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“She symbolizes freedom,” Andra told Rolling Stone. “She symbolizes equality. She represents not just civil rights, not just the Black community, but the LGBTQ community. She represents almost every marginalized group of people. She was the original ‘F--k the police.’”
The singer, who died at age 44 due to drug and alcohol-related issues, had a troubled childhood. Keep reading to find out more about Billie's upbringing, including her parents.
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Who are Billie Holiday's parents? The singer grew up in poverty.
According to , Billie (born Eleanora Fagan) was born in Philadel
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