Essay about Billie Holiday

Known as the “Empress Of Blues”, Bessie Smith was said to have revolutionized the vocal end of Blues Music. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. Her style in performance and lyrics often reflected her lifestyle. Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz artists, and she paved the way for many musicians who followed.

Not everyone is blessed with musical talent but when someone has an extraordinary ability, he or she should get the chance to please others with it. Sometimes a career can be made out of musical endowment, and that is what Billie Holiday did. Billie had a life that she may not have dreamed of since it started out rough with her mistreatment from adults and discouraging misfortunes, but she was ambitious and that showed through her singing career. Billie could usually adapt to her life’s problems except for her drug addiction and alcohol abuse, which unfortunately led to her demise. She was a talented woman who sang and helped create hit songs that aided her to rise to fame. Billie Holiday bravely stood up to racism, showed the world her talent, and inspired many of her beloved fans, all while continuing to be herself and not allowing the issues in her life hold her back.

“Blue Skies” was written into the second act. The song’s introduction was made even more memorable by the fact that Ms. Baker forgot the lyrics, and Irving Berlin himself sang them from the front row. 1930s/40s Swing Time Notable Performers Ella Fitzgerald Frank Sinatra Willie

In 1924 she went back to live with her mother, traveling and being schooled all over the state until she was fourteen. At the age of fourteen she decided to drop out of school and go to work. Because she was talented and light skinned it was not hard for her to find a job. She became a chorus girl in Harlem’s Cotton

Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under her birth name, Eleanora Fagan. Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer, from the 1930s to the '50s. All her life she lived with her mother because she did not know her biological father. She grew up in Baltimore, Maryland until her mother, Sadie Fagan, decided to move to New York in search of a better job. In New York, Holiday found a job at a Harlem nightclub. This job will encourage her to pursue a career in music and go on tour with other great artists. She borrowed her professional stage name from her favorite screen star, Billie Dove.

Maya Angelou is terrific performer, singer, filmmaker, and civil-rights activist. She is a phenomenal woman, one thing that she does best is writing. She is still living today, I believe her legend will never die. If one would talk to her, he or she would think she has lead a normal, happy life. Her life is blissful now, it was not always perfect. Maya beard enough emotional stress in a time frame that most people do not experience in a lifetime. Her experiences and the lessons learned encouraged her to help others become strong. Maya Angelou is one of the best examples of someone overcoming rape, being mute for several years, and having a child at a young age to achieve success of becoming an accomplished

To understand the controversy that Billie presented one must first go to the root or source of such controversy and examine Billie's childhood. Billie was born Eleanora Harris to her father Clarence Holiday and mother Sadie Fagan who were just fifteen and thirteen years old, respectively, at the time (A 91). Born between 1912 and 1915 in Baltimore, the date unsure, Billie grew up without her father, who moved away early on in her life.

Josephine Baker was born Freda Josephine MacDonald in St. Louis, Missouri to her unwed parents: Carrie McDonald and Eddie Carson. Her father soon left the family and Josephine had to help her mother support herself and her three younger half-siblings. At age eight, she got a job working as a maid for a white family (Robinson). At age 12, she had dropped out of school to work. By age 14, she had moved out, been married, and separated from her first husband. She would later go onto marry and divorce three more men. Never was she financially dependent on any man, including her husbands.

In 1956, Holiday caught the attention of many through her autobiography: "Lady Sings the Blues" - written with the help of William Duffy (2).

The Woodstock Music Festival is the most famous 1960s rock concerts, made by four promoters who did not know what exactly they were doing. Even with no experience they still managed to create an impressive masterpiece of a concert that truly captured the feel of the 1960s, with acts by Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix.

By the late 1940s,Billie was beset with legal troubles,and Drug abuse. After a short prison sentence. She Performed at a sold-out concert at Camegie Hall , But her

At the end of her life Billie’s personal life and career suffered. She didn’t have a cabaret card which is what was needed to work in New York City clubs at the time. She had no many in her bank account because she was cheated out of it. While she was dying she was arrested due to her heroin addiction. (www.numberonestars.com, 2010)

As you already know, Ella Fitzgerald is a jazz legend. But how did she get to be the amazing singer we remember her as today?

Smith remained popular throughout the rest of the 1920’s and maintained an active schedule of touring and recording. Most of her releases were credited to either “Bessie Smith and Her Blue Boys” or “Bessie with Her Band,” (NNDB). Other than being a vocalist, Bessie was still apart of vaudeville and musical comedy. She performed in “Mississippi Days” in 1927 and the “Jazz Regiment and “Late Hour Dancers” in 1929. Her first and only screen appearance also took place in 1929, she starred in “St. Louis Blues,” a short film that was given a critical reception (NNDB).

She received this name because she was different. She didn't want to create music that everyone was singing. She used a method called scat. One of the first songs that she used this new method was called “Flying home”. When singers are trying to use the method scat, the singer makes their voices sound like different instruments in bands and orchestra. Many people have said that “scat” is the most influential jazz record of all time. By creating these new ways sounds to us in her music is made people more interested in her music making her become more and more