Billie Holiday Essays

  • Billie Holiday Research Paper

    573 Words  | 3 Pages

    it. Billie Holiday knew how to capture emotion in her songs with her mesmerizing voice. Though she struggled throughout most of her life, Holiday immersed herself with her passion for music, producing songs that would ultimately morph the discipline of jazz. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Billie Holiday, born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, struggled alongside her mother Sadie during her childhood (“Billie”). Holiday’s single mother could not financially support her, leaving Holiday to live

  • Billie Holiday: An Everlasting Influence

    940 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eleanor Feagan, most commonly known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz musician and singer-songwriter who had a career lasting nearly 30 years. The way she sang had been strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists and introduced a new way of controlling phrasing and tempo. She carried an abundant amount of emotion and character in her voice, in addition to her material. Holiday is one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time and has had an everlasting influence on American music. The

  • Billie Holiday Great Migration

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    Billie Holiday is one of the most influential jazz singers of her time. Her attitude, determination and most of all her music inspired artists throughout time and inspired major social change. Throughout her lifetime she explored the world of jazz, her identity, and how far the limits of her talent would take her. She exchanged her poor life, full of drugs and scandal for a life of performing the arts and showcasing her talents and abilities. Her incredible determination led her to do what she loved

  • Song Analysis: Strange Fruit By Billie Holiday

    290 Words  | 2 Pages

    about the song “Strange Fruit” and its origins is a bit unorthodox. In1937 Abel Meeropol (a member of the American Communist Party) written and published a poem called “Bitter Fruit” which revise in this powerful protest song. This music song by Billie Holiday, it was one of the sparkle in the Civil Right Movements. This song expose a cognitive image of the unhuman of the lynching and racial segregation toward Black American that was happening in the Deep Southern State of the United States. Music

  • A Powerful Song Strange Fruit By Billie Holiday

    407 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” is a powerful song written by a Jewish- American school teacher, Abel Meeropol, later sang by Billie Holiday, and changed the history of American music in late 1930s. Some people believed that “Strange Fruit” is an early cry for civil rights while others believe it is the beginning of Civil Right movement. Although radio station refused to play this song at first, it ended up as one of the top twenty songs of 1930s. Abel Meeropol, a school teacher at New York City inspired to write

  • Billie Holiday: Most Influential Women In Jazz

    1718 Words  | 7 Pages

    Billie Holiday could be considered one of the most influential women in jazz, if not one of the most influential women in general. She was one of the first to incorporate anti-racist ideals and progressive thoughts through the outlet of music, influencing many others down the road. Her intense desire for equality and change could be due to the immense amounts of hardship during her younger years, which may have very well carried over into her adult singing career. Billie Holiday was abandoned at

  • Billie Holiday Biography

    1126 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Billie Holiday … did what she liked. If a man she liked came up, she’d go with him; if a woman, the same thing. If she was handed a drink, she’d drink it. If you had a stick of pot, she’d take a cab ride on her break and smoke it. If you had something stronger, she’d use that. …. She didn’t apologize for it and she didn’t feel ashamed. All she wanted was to have fun in whatever way it struck her. She was sensitive, she was proud…. She had a real zest for life. As a performer, she could make you

  • Billie Holiday's Influence On Jazz

    855 Words  | 4 Pages

    jazz was born. Her name was Billie Holiday. Her life was marked by tumult and poverty; however, through the many hardships she faced, she remained strong and determined. Today, she is regarded as one of the best jazz vocalists of all time. Her renowned voice was distinct due to her abundant use different tones and with her ever changing range. In addition, Billie took the pain that she experienced throughout her life and conveyed it through song. Influential to jazz, Billie Holiday’s life and her music

  • Billie Holiday Essay

    588 Words  | 3 Pages

    • On April 7th, 1915, Eleanora Fagan was born to Sarah Fagan and Clarence Holiday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. • Sadly, her father left Eleanora and her mother to pursue a music career. Her mother could not support Eleanora so she was sent to live with her aunt in Baltimore, Maryland.0 • Because of her difficult childhood, Eleanora dropped out of school and moved to Harlem, where she began her music career. She worked hard and despite horrible circumstances in her life, she kept on going and

  • Substance Abuse In Billie Holiday's Life

    585 Words  | 3 Pages

    Billie Holiday lived a tumultuous life as she went through many ups and downs during her childhood and into her adulthood. Billie Holiday was only eighteen years old when she was discovered singing in nightclubs and soon found great success as a jazz singer. In spite of her lack of musical training, Holiday’s distinct singing caught the attention of her audience and she became one of the greatest jazz singers of the twentieth century. However, despite the remarkable success Billie achieved, she continuously

  • Essay On Billie Holiday

    2383 Words  | 10 Pages

    Billie Holiday was an influential and famous jazz artist. Holiday had a good career for many years before she died of drug addiction. She was born on 7th April 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At birth, she was named Eleanor Fagan, and based on some sources, her birth certificate reports that she was named Eleanor Harris. She was born to a teenage mother, Sadie and father Clarence Holiday who was also a thriving Jazz artist. Unfortunately, her father was absent during most of her life, especially

  • Strange Fruit By Abel Meeropol

    518 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cameron said. "But I told him, since Indiana had forgiven me, I, in turn, forgive Indiana.’” (Anniversary of a Lynching). That day will never be forgotten but will always be remembered. When Billie Holiday sang this song she said that she hates performing it because it makes her feel uncomfortable. “But Holiday was to recall that even there she was afraid to sing this new song, and regretted it…”

  • Billie Holiday's Song 'Strange Fruit'

    597 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” and “Blood on the Leaves” The song “Strange Fruit” written by Billie Holiday was very iconic. There was a big story behind the song that demonstrated the inhumanity of racism. Billie Holiday was inspired to write this song because he saw a photograph of someone being lynched. His song tied into an important moment in America’s history. The man behind the song “Strange Fruit” was Abel Meeropol. In the late 1930’s Meeropol was very disgusted at the continuation of racism in America

  • Billie Holiday Essay

    915 Words  | 4 Pages

    Madonna, Elvis Presley & Billie Holiday: Exceptional Music Artists Do you know who “The Queen of Pop”, “Lady Day”, and “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” are? These are all exceptional music artists who are successful in the music industry. Madonna, also known as the “Queen of Pop '', has a controversial fashion style and a passion for dancing. Billie Holiday was in the Rock’n’ Roll Hall of Fame and struggled to become the fabulous jazz

  • Abel Meeropol Meaning

    1659 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Strange Fruit” is a song written by Abel Meeropol and was made famous by the singer Billie Holliday. The big release of the song was in 1939, although it was written a few years before. Meeropol was weary about letting it out to the larger public, so he had it played in meetings, benefits, and house parties. Meeropol originally wrote it as a poem, which was inspired by a photograph of lynching. The song has historical context and is better understood once the listener knows some of the background

  • Juxtaposition In Strange Fruit

    803 Words  | 4 Pages

    “One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism” (Blair ). “Strange Fruit” was written by Abel Meeropol and published in 1937. Billie Holiday then went to to sing “Strange Fruits” in 1939, it quickly became one of her most requested songs. Abel Meeropol had once witnessed seeing a photograph of a lynching, aghast by what he had just seen, he decided to compose a poem about it. My overall response to the poem was stupefied because

  • Billie Holiday Research Paper

    1066 Words  | 5 Pages

    Famous Billie Holiday Considered by many to be the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Billie Holiday lived a tempestuous and difficult life. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph. Though her career was relatively short and often erratic, she left behind a body of work as great as any vocalist before or since. Billie Holiday was a true artist of her day (Billie Holiday). Holiday is remembered for her masterpieces (Billie Holiday)

  • Billie Holiday Research Paper

    1687 Words  | 7 Pages

    the words, even though some of the recording may not be clear while listening to crackling sound of a mono speaker that was use at that time. Billie Holiday was an American jazz musician, singer and song writer originally named Eleanora Fagan. She embraced the stage Billie Holiday from actress Billie Dove, who she admired also by her father Clarence Holiday. Her ground breaking melody, soulful voice and capability of creating music from anything and everything made her a famous jazz chanteuse

  • Billie Holiday Impact On Society

    1072 Words  | 5 Pages

    Being one of the first women to work with an-all white orchestra, Billie Holiday was well recognized for many of her attributions. Her musical career has continued to keep Holiday a legendary icon even after her death. Billie Holiday won 5 Grammy Awards throughout her career and was inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame thanks to her wonderful voice. Regardless of any personal issues, Holiday has always had a way of touching people's hearts. Her impact is still widely recognized today. Before you

  • Billie Holiday Short Biography

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    the unfortunate death of Billie Holiday. Her life was quite rough, and her steps into the music industry were difficult in her life in order for her to reach. From a young age, jazz music was a peak of interest that stuck closely with Holiday until the end of her life. Her experiences in her lifetime left deep emotional scars that she was unable to heal due to a negligent father, and her dealings with drugs, which in time were the cause of her sudden death. Though Billie Holiday’s career may have