Billie Holiday
(Eleanora Fagan)
jazz singer
Born: 4/7/1915
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland
Jazz singer known for her emotion-laden vocal performances. She performed with Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Teddy Wilson before embarking on a successful solo career in 1940. Her recordings include “Strange Fruit” (1939) and “God Bless the Child” (1941). Holiday's drug addiction destroyed her career and was responsible for her early death.
Died: 7/17/1959 See also:
