Billie Holiday | Biography, Cause of Death, Reason, Facts, Wiki, Fashion, Family, Relationship, Kids, Music | American Singer
Table of Contents
About Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday whose full real name was “Eleanora Fagan” was among the brilliant and upright singers.
Billie Holiday was not her real name it was just a nickname given to her by friends and her music partner Lester Young.
Vivianna Torun was the lady who made jewelry for her. Torun lived in France. She always went to the beach to collect real stones. She was a creative lady. Billie’s first choice was always the jewelry made for her by Torun.
Family Background
Billie was the daughter of unwed couple Saddie Fagan and Clarence Halliday. When she was born her parents were not in a condition to handle her. It was her bad luck or what else that her parents were not in a condition to handle her. Billie was sent to a Catholic Reform school.
Childhood
Childhood is a phase in which we learn how to tackle things all around but sadly in this phase of childhood she was sent to a Catholic Reform school. At the time when she wanted to have a person for sharing all her feelings but sorrowfully, she was alone and unattended there. When she was nine years old she was sent back to her mother. As a student, she doesn’t have any appreciable career because she was expelled from school at the age of 11.
At a very young age, a man Wilber Rich harassed her. He tried to rape her. Her mother didn’t sit quietly, she filed a case against Wilber Rich luckily he was arrested soon.
After some years Billie and Saddie started working as prostitutes. Billie hardly was of 14 years, she became a victim of Sexual acts. After a few days, their working place was raided and both mother and daughter were arrested. Due to God’s mercy, both were released after a few months.
Billie suffered from many tragic events at a very young age. Mentally she was not relaxed, she was restless. Soon she found her peace and relief in the lovely tunes of music. It was the will of God that this distressed little girl would one day be an outstanding pop singer.
Music is not just a tune but it is a path through which we form harmony, and peace and express our emotions.
Billie also found her way to peace through music. She started her career by singing in nightclubs.
Every achievement had a list of struggles behind it.
-If you are born poor it is not your fault but if you die poor it must be your fault.
Music
Billie acted upon this quote and lit up her future with her countless struggles.
She was active between 1933 and 1959.
•”Her mother’s Son-in-law” and “Riffin, the Scotch” are her first two commercially hit songs
•She took part in the play “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and grill”
•She worked in the film “Symphony In Black” with Duke Ellington
•She won four Grammy Awards for best historic album
•“What a little moonlight can do” was a great contribution to her success
•She broke new ground with Shaw becoming one of the first female African-American vocalists to work with a white orchestra
•Her popularity increased after “Strange Fruit”
•She received “Esquire Magazine Award”
Billie herself shares that she was not allowed to sit with the other band members because she belongs to the black community. The audience insulted her, she couldn’t maintain her spirit, and then she had to get down off the stage. At that time she was working with Artie Shaw. A few days later her amazing performance as Billie forced the same audience to appreciate her.
In 1947 she faced legal troubles because of having drugs. Due to drug addiction, she was in a miserable condition because of her name and popularity the police officers sent her to the hospital for a checkup. Soon she was released because of her kind behavior.
She thought that now she is slandered, the public will not accept her but when she took a step forward the public again started to support her.
Sadly she was again arrested in 1949 for the same reason of drug addiction.
Relationship
Firstly she was married to Jimmy Monroe then to Joe Guy and then one year before her death to Louis Mckay.
Cause of Billie Holiday’s death?
Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. and At the age of 44 years old, She died. What really happened to Billie Holiday? well, She died on 17th July 1959 because of drugs she was facing severe heart and lung damage. Her monument is in Upton Baltimore.
As she poured her heart into her songs. This ability and her strong determination was
the reason behind her success.
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