Billie Holiday Biography and Discography

Billie Holiday remains (four decades after her death) the most famous of all jazz singers. "Lady Day" (as she was named by Lester Young) had a small voice and did not scat but her innovative behind-the-beat phrasing made her quite influential. The emotional intensity that she put into the words she sang (particularly in later years) was very memorable and sometimes almost scary; she often really did live the words she sang. Her original name and birthplace have been wrong for years but are listed correctly above thanks to Donald Clarke's definitive Billie Holiday biography Wishing on the Moon. Holiday's early years are shrouded in legend and rumours because of her fanciful ghost written autobiography Lady Sings the Blues but it is fair to say that she did not have a stable life. Her father Clarence Holiday (who never did marry her mother) played guitar with Fletcher Henderson and abandoned his family early on while her mother was not a very good role model. Billie essentially grew up alone, feeling unloved and gaining a lifelong inferiority complex that led to her taking great risks with her personal life and becoming self-destructive. Holiday's life becomes clearer after she was discovered by John Hammond singing in Harlem clubs. He arranged for her to record a couple of titles with Benny Goodman in 1933 and although those Were not all that successful, it was the start of her career. Two years later she was teamed with a pickup band led by Teddy Wilson and the combination clicked. During 1935-42 she would make some of the finest recordings of her career, jazz-oriented performances in which she was joined by the who's who of swing. Holiday sought to combine together Louis Armstrong's swing and Bessie Smith's sound; the result was her own fresh approach. In 1937 Lester Young and Buck Clayton began recording with Holiday and the interplay betWeen the three of them was timeless. Lady Day was with Count Basie's Orchestra during much of 1937 but, because they Were signed to different labels, all that exists of the collaboration are three songs from a radio broadcast. She worked with Artie Shaw's Orchestra for a time in 1938 but the same problem existed (only one song was recorded) and she had to deal with racism, not only during a Southern tour but in New York too. She had better luck as a star attraction at Cafe Society in 1939. Holiday made history that year by recording the horribly picturesque "Strange Fruit," a strong anti-racism statement that became a permanent part of her repertoire. Her records of 1940-42 found her sidemen playing a much more supportive role than in the past, rarely sharing solo space with her. Although the settings Were less jazz-oriented than before (with occasional strings and even a background vocal group on a few numbers) Billie Holiday's voice was actually at its strongest during her period with Decca (1944-49). She had already introduced "Fine and Mellow" (1939) and "God Bless the Child" (1941) but it was while with Decca that she first recorded "Lover Man" (her biggest hit), "Don't Explain," "Good Morning Heartache" and her renditions of "Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do," "Them There Eyes" and "Crazy He Calls Me." Unfortunately it was just before this period that she became a heroin addict and she spent much of 1947 in jail. because of the publicity she became a notorious celebrity and her audience greatly increased. Lady Day did get a chance to make one Hollywood movie (New Orleans) in 1946 and, although she was disgusted at the fact that she was stuck playing a maid, she did get to perform with her early idol Louis Armstrong. Billie Holiday's story from 1950 on is a gradual downhill slide. Although her recordings for Norman Granz (which started in 1952) placed her once again with all-star jazz veterans (including Charlie Shavers, Buddy DeFranco, Harry "SWeets" Edison and Ben Webster), her voice was slipping fast. Her unhappy relationships distracted her, the heroin use and excessive drinking continued and by 1956 she was way past her prime. Holiday had one final burst of glory in late 1957 when she sang "Fine and Mellow" on The Sound of Jazz telecast while joined by Lester Young (who stole the show with an emotional chorus), Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Gerry Mulligan and Roy Eldridge, but the end was near. Holiday's 1958 album Lady in Satin found the 43-year old singer sounding 73 (barely croaking out the words) and the following year she collapsed; in the sad final chapter of her life she was placed under arrest for heroin possession while on her deathbed! Fortunately Billie Holiday's recordings have been better treated than she was during her life and virtually all of her studio sides are currently available on CD.

Peterson. Her voice began to decline by the mid 1950s, but her small group recordings from this period are still considered classic. 1958's Lady in Satin album featured her increasingly hoarse voice with the strings of Ray Ellis. In May 1959 Holiday collapsed from heart and liver disease. She was still taking heroin and the subsequent stress of withdrawal combined with heart disease killed her on July 17, 1959.

1930s/40s Live Albums and CDs

1936 Don't Explain Audio Fidelity
1937 As Time Goes By Drive Archive
1944 Fine and Mellow Collectables
1946 Jazz at the Philharmonic Verve
1949 Broadcast Performances, Vol. 1 ESP

1950s/60s Live Albums and CDs

1951 Billie Holiday at Storyville 1201 Music
1951 The Complete 1951 Storyville Club Sessions Fresh Sound
1953 Radio and TV Broadcasts 1953-56 ESP
1956 Broadcast Performances, Vol. 3 1956-58 ESP
1956 The Essential Billie Holiday Carnegie Hall... Verve
1958 The Monterey Jazz Festival with Buddy... Black Hawk
1964 Rare Live Recordings RIC

1990s Live Albums and CDs

1991 Billie Holiday Live Verve
1990 Classic Live Recordings JCI
1993 Broadcast Performances, Vol. 4 Esp
1995 At Carnegie Hall: The Billie Holiday Story,... Polygram
1995 Immortal Lady in Concert Musketeer

2000s Live Albums and CDs

2000 1949-52 Radio and TV Broadcast Calibre
2000 1953-1956 Radio and TV Broadcast Calibre
2001 Live at Stratford 57 and Rare Interviews Baldwin Street
2002 New York to Los Angeles: 1935-1944
2005 Lady Live 1939-1940 Columbia

1930s Compilation Albums and CDs

1933 Billie Holiday (1933-1937) Classics
1933 Billie Holiday: The Legacy Box 1933-1958 Columbia
1933 The Complete Recordings 1933-1940 Affinity
1933 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 1... Columbia
1933 The Voice of Jazz: The Complete Recordings... Affinity
1935 If You Were Mine Drive Archive
1935 Lady Day Columbia
1936 God Bless the Child MCA Special
1936 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 2... Columbia
1936 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 3... Columbia
1936 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vols. 1-9 Columbia
1937 Lover Man: Jazz Archives, Vol. 6 Jazz Archives
1937 Miss Brown to You Jazz Time
1937 The Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra... Classics
1937 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 4... Columbia
1937 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 5... Columbia
1938 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 6... Columbia
1938 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 7... Masters of
1939 Billie Holiday Commodore
1939 Billie Holiday (1939-1940) Classics
1939 Billie Holiday (1939-1949)
1939 I'll Be Seeing You Commodore
1939 Strange Fruit Atlantic
1939 The Commodore Master Takes GRP
1939 The Commodore Recordings Mainstream
1939 The Complete Commodore Recordings GRP
1939 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 8... Masters of

1940s Compilation Albums and CDs

1940 Billie Holiday (1948-1959) Royal
1940 Control Booth Series, Vol. 1: 1940-1941 Storyville
1940 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 9... Columbia
1940 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 9... Columbia
1941 Control Booth Series, Vol. 2 Jazz Unlimited
1942 Billie's Blues Musketeer
1944 Masters of Jazz, Vol. 3 Storyville
1944 Story MCA
1944 The Billie Holiday Story MCA
1944 The Complete Decca Recordings GRP
1944 The Complete Original American Decca... MCA
1944 The Lady's Decca Days, Vol. 1 MCA
1944 The Lady's Decca Days, Vol. 2 MCA
1945 Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald MCA
1945 The Complete Billie Holiday on Verve... Polygram
1945 Verve Jazz Masters 47: Sings Standards Verve
1946 Billie Holiday on Verve (1946-1959) Verve
1946 Lady in Autumn: The Best of the Verve Years Verve
1949 For a Lady Named Billie Giants of Jazz
1949 Summer of 1949 Bandstand

1950s Compilation Albums and CDs

1950 Favorites Columbia
1951 Billie and Stan Dale
1951 Billie Holiday, Al Hibbler and the Blues Imperial
1952 First Verve Sessions Polygram
1952 Lover Man Prime Cuts
1952 Solitude Polygram
1952 The Billie Holiday Songbook Polygram
1952 The Essential Billie Holiday: Songs of Lost... Verve
1956 Compact Jazz: Billie Holiday Verve
1956 The Lady Sings Charly Budget
1957 Billie Holiday Sings the Blues Score
1957 Embraceable You Prism
1959 The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 1 Columbia

1960s Compilation Albums and CDs

1960 The Unforgettable Lady Day Verve
1961 The Essential Billie Holiday Rerooted
1962 Lady Love United Artists
1962 The Golden Years, Vol. 1 Columbia
1965 Billie Holiday Clef
1965 Once Upon a Time Mainstream
1966 Lady Verve
1966 The Golden Years, Vol. 2 Columbia
1967 Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits MCA

1970s Compilation Albums and CDs

1973 Billie Holiday Original Recordings Columbia
1973 The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 2 Columbia
1973 The History of Billie Holiday Verve
1975 A Day in the Life of Billie Holiday Different
1976 Lady Day Blues AJ
1977 Easy to Remember ITI
1979 Swing! Brother, Swing! Sony Special

1980s Compilation Albums and CDs

1980 Giants of Jazz Time-Life
1984 The Silver Collection Verve
1986 History of the Real Billie Holiday Polygram
1986 Sound of Jazz Columbia
1988 Lady Day (1939-1944): The Sixteen Original... Tristar
1988 The Billie Holiday Collection Deja Vu

Billie Holiday Discography - 1990-94 Compilation Albums and CDs
 

1991 Billie Holiday Sony Special
1991 Billie Holiday, Vol. 2: I Cried for You Patricia
1991 I Like Jazz: The Essence of Billie Holiday Columbia
1991 Them There Eyes Royal
1992 Billie's Best Verve
1992 Billie's Blues Bulldog
1992 Lover Man Sound
1992 The Early Classics Pearl
1993 16 Most Requested Songs Columbia
1993 Collection Castle
1993 God Bless the Child Pilz
1993 Talks and Sings Quicksilver
1994 Best of Billie Holiday Tristar
1994 Billie Holiday Vol. 1 (1933-1947) RCA Makin'
1994 Billie Sings, Terence Plays Columbia
1994 First Issue: Great American Songbook Polygram
1994 God Bless the Child Universal
1994 Jazz 'Round Midnight: Billie Holiday Polygram
1994 Long Gone Blues Tristar
1994 Millenium Anthology Millenium
1994 The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 3 Polygram
1994 The Man I Love Pickwick
1994 Verve Jazz Masters 12: Billie Holiday Verve

1995 Compilation Albums and CDs

1995 Billie Sings the Blues Sandy Hook
1995 Billie's Blues Start
1995 Box Set Masters of
1995 Carelessly Smash
1995 Fine and Mellow Indigo
1995 God Bless the Child Prime Cuts
1995 Good Morning Heartache Four Star
1995 Greatest Hits GRP
1995 Greatest Hits GRP
1995 Jazz Portrait Tristar
1995 Lady Sings the Blues: Original Sessions... Accord
1995 Lady Sings the Blues: The Billie Holiday... Verve
1995 Lover Come Back to Me Drive
1995 Me Myself and I Milan
1995 On the Sentimental Side Past Perfect
1995 Original Historic Recordings Jazz Archives
1995 The Billie Holiday Story, Vol. 5: Music for... Polygram
1995 The Gold Collection Deja Vu
1995 Vol. 1: 1933-1936 Masters of
1995 Vol. 10: 1940-1941 Masters of
1995 Vol. 2: 1936-1937 Masters of
1995 Vol. 3: 1934-1937 Masters of
1995 Vol. 4: 1937 Masters of
1995 Vol. 5: 1937-1938 Masters of
1995 Vol. 6: 1938 Masters of
1995 Vol. 9: 1940 Masters of
1995 With Bobby Black Label

1996 Compilation Albums and CDs

1996 1935-1938 Fat Boy
1996 1940-1942 Classics
1996 1944 Classics
1996 40 Great Songs Musketeer
1996 American Legends # 9: Billie Holiday Laserlight
1996 Billie Holiday Love Songs Sony/Legacy
1996 Billie's Blues Collector's
1996 Billie's Blues Leader Music
1996 Billie's Blues Avid
1996 Fine and Mellow Collector's
1996 God Bless the Child K-Tel
1996 Golden Hits Intercontinent
1996 Her Best Recordings: 1935-1942 Best of Jazz
1996 Immortal Lady Day, Vol. 1 Charly Budget
1996 Jazz After Dark: Great Songs, Vol. 1 Public Music
1996 Jazz After Dark: Great Songs, Vol. 2 Public Music
1996 Lady Day's 25 Greatest: 1933-1944 ASV/Living Era
1996 Love Me or Leave Me Hallmark
1996 Love Songs Sony
1996 Me Myself and I Eclipse Music
1996 Miss Brown to You 1933-1936 Jazztory
1996 This Is Jazz, Vol. 15 Sony
1996 Vol. 11: 1941-1942 Masters of

1997 Compilation Albums and CDs

1997 Ain't Nobody's Business Century Vista
1997 Billie Holiday: Members Edition Members
1997 Billie Holliday: Triple Gold Start
1997 Complete, Vol. 12: 1942-1944 Masters of
1997 Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Galaxy
1997 Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Galaxy
1997 Priceless Jazz GRP
1997 Revue Collection Revue
1997 The Ultimate Billie Holiday Polygram
1997 Vol. 1: 1935-1939 L'art Vocal

1998 Compilation Albums and CDs

1998 Back 2 Back Intercontinent
1998 Back to Back: Billie Holiday and Etta James Excelsior
1998 Billie's Blues Wolf
1998 Gold Collection Fine Tune
1998 Gold Collection Retro Music
1998 Golden Classics Double Play
1998 Greatest Hits Sony
1998 Lady Day and Prez Fremeaux and
1998 Lady Sings the Blues Entertainers
1998 Masters Cleopatra
1998 Night and Day Empress
1998 Portrait of Billie Holiday Gallerie
1998 Priceless Jazz: More Billie Holiday GRP
1998 Quintessential 1, 2 and 3 Sony
1998 Selection of Billie Holiday Golden Sounds
1998 The Classic Decade 1935-1945 Prism Leisure
1998 This Is Jazz, Vol. 32: Standards Sony
1998 V-Disc Recordings: A Musical Contribution by... Collectors'
1998 Vol. 13: 1944 Masters of

1999 Compilation Albums and CDs

1999 1945-1948 Classics
1999 Back to Back Ember
1999 Best of Billie Holiday: 1935-1948 Import
1999 Cocktail Hour Columbia River
1999 Essential Masters of Jazz Proper
1999 Forever Gold St. Clair
1999 Guilty Nostalgia
1999 Lover Man: 1939-1944 Jazzterdays
1999 Miss Brown to You Swing House
1999 Strange Fruit Crown
1999 Strange Fruit Giants of Jazz
1999 Strange Fruit Jazz World
1999 The Essential Billie Holiday Charly
1999 Vol. 14: 1944-1945 Masters of
1999 Wishing on the Moon ASV/Living Era

2000 Compilation Albums and CDs

2000 1925-1950
2000 20 Classic Tracks Cleopatra
2000 A Fine Romance, Vol. 1 Definitive
2000 A Fine Romance, Vol. 2 Definitive
2000 Anthology 1944-1959 Cleopatra
2000 Billie Holiday the Legend Legend
2000 Billie's Blues Delta
2000 Billie's Love Songs Nimbus
2000 Essential Recordings Music Club
2000 Golden Legends Direct Source
2000 High Profile Direct Source
2000 Jazz and Blues Blues and Jazz
2000 Jazz Gallery: 1925-1950 Mondo Musica
2000 Ken Burns Jazz Verve
2000 Lady Day Golden Stars
2000 Lady Sings the Blues Collectables
2000 Legends: Billie Holiday Orchard
2000 Midnight Blues Madacy
2000 New Orleans Definitive
2000 No Regrets Recall
2000 Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone Get Back
2000 Strange Fruit: 1937-1939 Jazzterdays
2000 Strange Fruit: Alternate Takes Universal
2000 Summertime Mastersound
2000 That Ole Devil Called Love Prism Leisure
2000 That's Life I Guess: 1936-1937 Jazztory
2000 The Best of Billie Holiday Intersound
2000 The Great Festival
2000 Very Best of Billie Holiday Universal
2000 Vol. 16: December 1946-December 1948 Masters of

2001 Compilation Albums and CDs

2001 Anthology 1944-1959 Crown Japan
2001 Billie Holiday, Vol. 1 and 2 Platinum Disc
2001 Billie Holiday, Vol. 1: The Best Platinum Disc
2001 Billie Holiday, Vol. 2 Platinum Disc
2001 Billie's Blues Simply The
2001 Celebrating the Best of Jazz Direct Source
2001 Complete Original American Commodore... Jazz Factory
2001 Complete Original American Decca Recordings... Jazz Factory
2001 God Bless the Child Proper
2001 Great Ladies on V-Disc, Vol. 1 Tokuma
2001 Jazz After Hours Jazz After
2001 Lady Day, Vol. 1 Magnum
2001 Lady Day, Vol. 3 Magnum
2001 Lady Day: The Best of Billie Holiday Columbia/Legac
2001 Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on... Sony
2001 Lover Man Proper
2001 Miss Brown to You A Touch Of
2001 Original Authentic Recordings Just Jazz
2001 Sings the Great American Songbook Jazz Factory
2001 Songbook Jazz Factory
2001 Star PoWer: Billie Holiday Direct Source
2001 Strange Fruit Proper
2001 The Best of Billie Holiday EMI-Capitol
2001 The Billie Holiday Story Chrome Dreams
2001 The Great, Vol. 2 Goldies
2001 The Lady Sings Proper
2001 This Year's Kisses Proper

2002 Compilation Albums and CDs

2002 1949-1951 Classics
2002 20th Century Masters - The Millennium... Hip-O
2002 A Musical Romance Columbia/Legac
2002 All of Me Delta
2002 Billie Holiday
2002 Billie Holiday For Lovers Verve
2002 Billie Holiday: Portrait International
2002 Billie's Blues Past Perfect
2002 Billie's Blues Tko Magnum
2002 Billie's Blues Tko Magnum
2002 Blue Billie Columbia/Legac
2002 Body and Soul Verve
2002 Complete Recordings Jazz Factory
2002 Fine and Mellow Prestige Elite
2002 Golden Greats Golden Greats
2002 Great Ladies of Jazz Legend
2002 Great Lady Day Rajon
2002 Jazz Collection: Billie Holiday and Friends Laserlight
2002 Jazz Is Their Old Man Laserlight
2002 Lady Day and Pres 1937-1941 Fremeaux and
2002 Lady Day Ember
2002 Lady Day Swings Columbia/Legac
2002 Lady Day, Vol. 2 TKO Collectors
2002 Lady in Satin Sony
2002 Love for Sale Prestige Elite
2002 Night and Day Town Sound
2002 No Greater Love Our World
2002 Quintessence New York to Los Angeles, Vol.... Fremeaux and
2002 Singin' the Blues Universal
2002 The Incomparable, Vol. 1
2002 The Incomparable, Vol. 2
2002 The Incomparable, Vol. 3
2002 The Incomparable, Vol. 4
2002 The Incomparable, Vol. 5
2002 You Got to My Head Past Perfect

2003/04 Compilation Albums and CDs

2003 1952 Classics
2003 Best of Billie Holiday
2003 Blue Billie Saga
2003 Classic American Voices Direct Source
2003 Complete 1937-1946 Fremeaux and
2003 Day In, Day Out HearMusic
2003 Early Lady Day: 1933-1937 Jazz Legends
2003 Happy Billie Saga
2003 Jazz Masters: Billie Holiday Delta
2003 Legendary Jazz: Easy Livin' Columbia River
2003 Love Songs, Vol. 2 Columbia/Legac
2003 Swing! Brother Swing! Collectables
2003 The Billie Holiday Collection, Vol. 1 Columbia
2003 The Billie Holiday Collection, Vol. 2 Columbia
2003 The Billie Holiday Collection, Vol. 3 Columbia/Legac
2003 The Billie Holiday Collection, Vol. 4 Columbia
2003 The Diva Series Verve
2003 Ultimate Collection United Multi
2004 BD Jazz
2004 Evening With Billie Holiday
2004 Good Morning Blues: The Complete Columbia... Universe
2004 Moanin' Low ASV/Living Era
2004 Proper Introduction to Billie Holiday:...
2004 The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol. 1-3 Columbia/Legacy
2004 BD Jazz Nocturne
2004 Jazz Moods: 'Round Midnight Columbia/Legacy
2004 Lady Day Live Collector's Choice
2004 Jeepers Creepers: The Ultimate Lady Day Best ... Birdland
2004 Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years Definitive Classics
2004 Happy Holiday Jasmine
2004 The Jazz Biography Series United Multi Consign
2004 The Platinum Collection Direct Source
2004 Timeless Classics St. Clair
2004 Complete Alternates, Vol. 1 Blue Moon
2004 Complete Alternates, Vol. 2 Blue Moon
2004 Complete Alternates, Vol. 3 Blue Moon
2004 Complete Alternates, Vol. 4 Blue Moon
2004 Complete Alternates, Vol. 5 Blue Moon
2004 Lover Man: 1944-1950 Blue Moon
2004 Tenderly Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 1: 1945-1949 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 2: 1949-1951 Blue Moon
2004 Complete, Vol. 1: 1933-1936 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 2: 1936-1937 [Blue Moon] Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 3: 1937-1938 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 4: 1938 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 5: 1938-1939 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 6: 1939-1941 Blue Moon
2004 Vol. 7: 1941-1944 Blue Moon
2004 Trios Sony International
2005 The Sensitive Billie Holiday 1940-1949 Storyville
2005 The Billie Holiday Story United States Dist
2005 All of Me Legacy
2005 Anthology Cleopatra
2005 Remixed Hits Hypnotic
2005 Billie Holiday Platinum Disc
2005 The Billie Holiday Collection Columbia
2005 Jukebox Hits 1935-1946 Acrobat
2005 Legends: Billie Holiday Direct Source
2005 The Best of Billie Holiday Compendia

Billie Holiday Discography - Videos and DVDs

2001 Presenting Billie Holiday Pioneer
2001 Ladies Sing the Blues View Video
2003 Life and Artistry of Lady Day
2004 The Genius of Lady Day
2004 The Lady Day's Life