Unfortunately, family was not the best support system for Eleanora Fagan, the name given to her at birth. Her grandfather was a slave in Virginia and hard work was nothing new to her mother. Sally Fagan never married Billie’s father Clarence Holiday. He was a guitar player in a band with Fletcher Henderson, and because of this gig he abandoned the family to become a performer. Too young to

Within a month, Billie’s first recording was with the famous Benny Goodman, which did not go so well (Gyurko). However it was very clear that she would be a star. Two years later she met up with a pick-up band led by Teddy Wilson and they immediately clicked. During 1935 -1942 she would record some of her finest records of her career. It was also at this time she would prove her self worthy of being part of the who’s who of Jazz and Swing music. “Holiday hoped to combine Louis Armstrong’s swing and Bessie Smith’s sound…”(Yanow). The result was her own fresh sound. She had a small voice and did not scat but her innovative, “behind-the-beat” phrasing, made her quite influential (Yanow). Throughout 1936, Billie toured with groups led by Jimmie Lunceford and Fletcher Henderson. She then returned to New York for several more sessions in the studio (Walker). In late January of 1937, she was recording several small numbers with a small group put together from one of Hammond’s new discoveries… Count Basie’s Orchestra. Tenor- Lestor Young, who knew her briefly several years earlier, as well as Buck Clayton became very close to Billie. The three did much of their best work together and Billie bestowed the nickname of “Pres” on Young. And he dubbed her “the Lady Day” for her “Elegance” (Walker). She stayed with Basie’s group for less then a year. A short while later she was hired by Artie Shaw’s popular band. She began singing with the band in 1938 and it was one of the first instances of a black female appearing with an all white group. But even with the support of the entire band, promoters’ and radio sponsors’ comments got to Billie. They started scrutinizing her singing style, which was unorthodox, almost as much as her skin’s color. Finally quit the band and with her free time she was able to pick up yet another gig. Café Society was one of the first popular night-spot that had an interracial audience. It was here that she would release the one song that would c

Some topics in this essay:
Yanow Billie, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw’s, Billie Holiday, York City, South Billie, Café Society, City Walker, Gyurko Feeling, heroin walker, 40 cents bank, benny goodman, goings south, fletcher henderson, left family, york city, billie started, 40 cents, black people, billie holiday,