BILLIE HOLIDAY

(Born April 4th, 1915; died Augest 7th, 1958)

Billie Holiday had a sound that was smoother than soft sand and sadder than a rainy day. Her gray-skies voice brought beauty and sadness to a new level.

Billie Holiday’s life was rough. She went to jail when she was ten, and had become a prostitute by the time she was twelve. She moved to New York with her mom, and sang in nightclubs in Harlem, where she became a star. Even when she was a star, Billie Holiday was pained. Her life was controlled by her heroin addiction. Heroin was a drug that made her very unhappy in the long run.

Billie Holiday died of an overdose in 1958. Her recorded music is still as beautiful as ever. When you hear her sing, you can feel her suffering heart.