Billie Holiday Research Paper

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.

Life is easy for few and difficult for many, especially when born to a teenage mother and father. Billy Holiday, formally known as Eleanora Fagan, was born on April 7, 1915, to thirteen-year-old Sadie Fagan and Clarence Holiday, who was fifteen at the time. Life began dismally for Holiday since her father picked his own career in music over his family. He was a jazz musician who played the banjo and guitar (Bush). School was not a priority for Holiday since she had limited schooling and her mother would often leave her with relatives to care for her (Bush). Billie’s family was poor, and she had a life of pain, struggling, and disturbance ahead of her. As a child Holiday would help out at a brothel by running errands for prostitutes, because in the sitting room of the brothel she could listen to Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong music (“Billie Holiday”). She later described her style of music as a cross between Armstrong and Smith, even though she couldn’t get her voice to be as “big” as

He brought a different approach to vocal jazz. His constant writing and recording helped having a big influence on the jazz scene. While making his mark on may parts of the industry he was best known for his singing. He experimented some with scatting and chromatic vamping, which showed in “Lulu’s back in town.” He pushed the crooning style further until in 1950’s when it died out as rock and roll became more popular. This caused him to grow into a more Jazz style of singing although he believed that there were no pure jazz signers it all depended on their influences.

Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He was from a very poor family and was sent to reform school when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. At the school he learned to play cornet. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. He didn't own an instrument at this time,

She was born in 1937 in Jacksonville, Florida, to Billy Daniels a jazz musician. Growing up she was always surrounded by music. She has said that her dad influenced her taste in music from an early age. He would play soothing blues and jazz tunes during her early life. When she was 17, Daniels decided to get her first radio job at a rhythm and blues station in Jacksonville. While at night she would sing at locals nightclubs. Daniels was popular for her

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.

Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. He also learned to sing. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. Flappers were commonly known during this time. They danced to the jazz music with a whole new style.

There were many jazz musicians. Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz figures. Louis Armstrong is one of the first great soloists in the 1920’s musicians. His career rose in New Orleans. He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. Louis gave jazz music a purpose. He spread jazz throughout the world. Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. He was an extraordinary musician and he impacted jazz music immensely. Without the jazz musicians, jazz music would not have been possible. With the assistance of the jazz musicians, the music industry

Carole King is a musical icon in the world of 20th century popular music, and her longevity and success as an artist have cemented her as one of the influential musicians out of every genre of music. In this essay, I will examine how her musical style and female identity each played roles her incredibly successful musical career.

Meanwhile, Fitzgerald had begun to work with Norman Granz, the impresario of a popular series called "Jazz at the Philharmonic." In 1955, she was the first artist signed to Granz's new record label, Verve, and began recording a series of "songbook" albums. The first offering, a two-record set entitled Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956) led to eight other songbooks, each devoted to the work of a particular composer or composing team: Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, Rodgers and Hart, and George and Ira Gershwin. The

Despite many hardships in Francis’ life, including a rape, many divorces, and the brutal murder of her brother, she continues to sing across the world today. Over the course of her life she has recorded over seventy LPs and starred on many TV shows and movies, as well. Though she was never inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, her impact on the rock and roll music industry during the 1950’s

She was the starving musician, the jazz singer who did all she could to stay alive and still do what she loves. The dedication she displayed to jazz is not easy to explain. She was a perfectionist in her fashion, depending upon her excellent ear, unique voice and honesty and love for people to keep her love alive.

I’d done my solo and would now move on to pursue other equally unsuccessful ways of getting attention.” Singing in the voice of Billie Holiday seemed to be one of the few ways Sedaris thought he could express his feminine side comfortably. Unfortunately for him, being shot down by Mancini caused him to dispose of such a dream.

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)

Nps.gov states that some of the greatest musician in America History has come from the jazz side of the world. Artist such as Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday and Jelly “Roll” Morton, pave the way for jazz to reach its height as it did in the early 20’s with the upbeat tempo and smooth classical sound. These artist brung a unique sound to jazz that was not there. Louis Armstrong contribute to jazz is so remarkable, he played the trumpet like no other. His sound was so soothing to the ears. When you think about jazz, Louis Armstrong is one of the first names most people relate to jazz. Jelly “Roll” Morton was probably the most influence artist there is. An innovative piano stylist and composer, began his odyssey outside of New Orleans as early as 1907. He continue his work throughout the 1920’s and was mainly consider the reason of the swing era.