TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Billie Holiday, born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, was a revolutionary jazz vocalist known for her unique and emotional phrasing.
Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, they brought a new level of storytelling to the genre.
She collaborated with Teddy Wilson to create the jazz standard "What a Little Moonlight Can Do." Her rendition of “God Bless the Child” is known for its deep pain and beauty drawn from her tumultuous life.
Holiday achieved mainstream success in the 1930s and 1940s; however, by the late 1940s, legal issues and drug abuse led to her imprisonment. After a brief sentence, she made a powerful comeback at Carnegie Hall.
Her later recordings reflected her struggles and received mixed reviews. Holiday passed away from heart failure at age 44, leaving a lasting impact on music and civil rights.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, supported by Layman Poupard Publishers.