Billie Holiday

The Profile

Billie Holiday (1915–1959) was an American jazz and swing singer known as Lady Day. Renowned for her emotive phrasing and unmistakable timbre, she influenced generations of vocalists and left landmark recordings across the 1930s–1950s.

Publicly known: Born 1915 in Philadelphia as Eleanora Fagan; died 1959 in New York City; a defining voice of vocal jazz and swing, closely associated with collaborators like Lester Young and Teddy Wilson. From the reviews: Lady in Satin was recorded in February 1958 with a 40‑piece orchestra conducted by Ray Ellis and features standards such as "You’ve Changed" and "You Don’t Know What Love Is"; its lush orchestration and late‑career vocals stirred debate but were considered by Holiday as her most successful work. Lady Sings the Blues is celebrated for its poetic intensity and emotional truth.

Two strongly positive reviews focus on Billie Holiday’s late period. Lady in Satin (1958) is framed as an intense, string-laden statement with Ray Ellis’s 40-piece orchestra and emotionally charged standards. Lady Sings the Blues is praised as pure poetry and suffering made timeless by her voice.