Billie Holiday

BillieHoliday'Introduction

Thefirstpopularjazzsingertomoveaudienceswiththeintense,personalfeelingofclassicblues,BillieHolidaychangedtheartofAmericanpopvocalsforever.Almostfiftyyearsafterherdeath,it'sdifficulttobelievethatpriortoheremergence,jazzandpopsingersweretiedtotheTinPanAlleytraditionandrarelypersonalizedtheirsongs;onlybluessingerslikeBessieSmithandMaRaineyactuallygavetheimpressiontheyhadlivedthroughwhattheyweresinging.BillieHoliday'shighlystylizedreadingofthisbluestraditionrevolutionizedtraditionalpop,rippingthedecades-longtraditionofsongpluggingintwobyrefusingtocompromiseherartistryforeitherthesongortheband.ShemadeclearherdebtstoBessieSmithandLouisArmstrong(inherautobiographysheadmitted,"IalwayswantedBessie'sbigsoundandPops'feeling"),butintruthherstylewasvirtuallyherown,quiteashockinanageofinterchangeablecroonersandbandsingers.

Withherspiritshiningthroughoneveryrecording,Holiday'stechnicalexpertisealsoexcelledincomparisontothegreatmajorityofhercontemporaries.OftenboredbythetiredoldTinPanAlleysongsshewasforcedtorecordearlyinhercareer,Holidayfooledaroundwiththebeatandthemelody,phrasingbehindthebeatandoftenrejuvenatingthestandardmelodywithharmoniesborrowedfromherfavoritehornplayers,ArmstrongandLesterYoung.(Sheoftensaidshetriedtosinglikeahorn.)Hernotoriousprivatelifeaseriesofabusiverelationships,substanceaddictions,andperiodsofdepressionundoubtedlyassistedherlegendarystatus,butHoliday'sbestperformances("LoverMan,""Don'tExplain,""StrangeFruit,"herowncomposition"GodBlesstheChild")remainamongthemostsensitiveandaccomplishedvocalperformanceseverrecorded.Morethantechnicalability,morethanpurityofvoice,whatmadeBillieHolidayoneofthebestvocalistsofthecenturyeasilytheequalofEllaFitzgeraldorFrankSinatrawasherrelentlesslyindividualisttemperament,aqualitythatcoloredeveryoneofherendlesslynuancedperformances.

BillieHoliday'schaoticlifereportedlybeganinBaltimoreonApril7,1915(afewreportssay1912)whenshewasbornEleanoraFaganGough.Herfather,ClarenceHoliday,wasateenagedjazzguitaristandbanjoplayerlatertoplayinFletcherHenderson'sOrchestra.Henevermarriedhermother,SadieFagan,andleftwhilehisdaughterwasstillababy.(ShewouldlaterrunintohiminNewYork,andthoughshecontractedmanyguitaristsforhersessionsbeforehisdeathin1937,shealwaysavoidedusinghim.)Holiday'smotherwasalsoayoungteenageratthetime,andwhetherbecauseofinexperienceorneglect,oftenleftherdaughterwithuncaringrelatives.HolidaywassentencedtoCatholicreformschoolattheageoften,reportedlyaftersheadmittedbeingraped.Thoughsentencedtostayuntilshebecameanadult,afamilyfriendhelpedgetherreleasedafterjusttwoyears.Withhermother,shemovedin1927,firsttoNewJerseyandsoonaftertoBrooklyn.

InNewYork,Holidayhelpedhermotherwithdomesticwork,butsoonbeganmoonlightingasaprostitutefortheadditionalincome.AccordingtotheweightyBillieHolidaylegend(whichgainedadditionalcredenceafterhernotoriouslyapocryphalautobiographyLadySingstheBlues),herbigsingingbreakcamein1933whenalaughabledancingauditionataspeakeasypromptedheraccompanisttoaskherifshecouldsing.Infact,HolidaywasmostlikelysingingatclubsalloverNewYorkCityasearlyas1930-31.Whateverthetruestory,shefirstgainedsomepublicityinearly1933,whenrecordproducerJohnHammondonlythreeyearsolderthanHolidayherself,andjustatthebeginningofalegendarycareerwroteherupinacolumnforMelodyMakerandbroughtBennyGoodmantooneofherperformances.AfterrecordingademoatColumbiaStudios,HolidayjoinedasmallgroupledbyGoodmantomakehercommercialdebutonNovember27,1933with"YourMother'sSon-In-Law."

Thoughshedidn'treturntothestudioforoverayear,BillieHolidayspent1934movinguptherungsofthecompetitiveNewYorkbarscene.Byearly1935,shemadeherdebutattheApolloTheaterandappearedinaone-reelerfilmwithDukeEllington.Duringthelasthalfof1935,Holidayfinallyenteredthestudioagainandrecordedatotaloffoursessions.Withapick-upbandsupervisedbypianistTeddyWilson,sherecordedaseriesofobscure,forgettablesongsstraightfromtheguttersofTinPanAlleyinotherwords,theonlysongsavailabletoanobscureblackbandduringthemid-'30s.(Duringtheswingera,musicpublisherskeptthebestsongsstrictlyinthehandsofsocietyorchestrasandpopularwhitesingers.)Despitethepoorsongquality,Holidayandvariousgroups(includingtrumpeterRoyEldridge,altoJohnnyHodges,andtenorsBenWebsterandChuBerry)energizedflatsongslike"WhataLittleMoonlightCanDo,""Twenty-FourHoursaDay"and"IfYouWereMine"(tosaynothingof"EenyMeenyMineyMo"and"YankeeDoodleNeverWenttoTown").ThegreatcomboplayingandHoliday'sincreasinglyassuredvocalsmadethemquitepopularonColumbia,BrunswickandVocalion.

During1936,HolidaytouredwithgroupsledbyJimmieLuncefordandFletcherHenderson,thenreturnedtoNewYorkforseveralmoresessions.InlateJanuary1937,sherecordedseveralnumberswithasmallgroupculledfromoneofHammond'snewdiscoveries,CountBasie'sOrchestra.TenorLesterYoung,who'dbrieflyknownBillieseveralyearsearlier,andtrumpeterBuckClaytonweretobecomeespeciallyattachedtoHoliday.Thethreedidmuchoftheirbestrecordedworktogetherduringthelate'30s,andHolidayherselfbestowedthenicknamePresonYoung,whilehedubbedherLadyDayforherelegance.Bythespringof1937,shebegantouringwithBasieasthefemalecomplementtohismalesinger,JimmyRushing.Theassociationlastedlessthanayear,however.Thoughofficiallyshewasfiredfromthebandforbeingtemperamentalandunreliable,shadowyinfluenceshigherupinthepublishingworldreportedlycommandedtheactionaftersherefusedtobeginsinging'20sfemalebluesstandards.

Atleasttemporarily,themoveactuallybenefitedHolidaylessthanamonthafterleavingBasie,shewashiredbyArtieShaw'spopularband.Shebegansingingwiththegroupin1938,oneofthefirstinstancesofablackfemaleappearingwithawhitegroup.Despitethecontinuingsupportoftheentireband,however,showpromotersandradiosponsorssoonbeganobjectingtoHolidaybasedonherunorthodoxsingingstylealmostasmuchasherrace.Afteraseriesofescalatingindignities,Holidayquitthebandindisgust.Yetagain,herjudgmentprovedvaluable;theaddedfreedomallowedhertotakeagigatahipnewclubnamedCaféSociety,thefirstpopularnightspotwithaninter-racialaudience.There,BillieHolidaylearnedthesongthatwouldcatapulthercareertoanewlevel:"StrangeFruit."

Thestandard,writtenbyCaféSocietyregularLewisAllenandforevertiedtoHoliday,isananguishedreprisaloftheintenseracismstillpersistentintheSouth.ThoughHolidayinitiallyexpresseddoubtsaboutaddingsuchabald,uncompromisingsongtoherrepertoire,shepulleditoffthankslargelytoherpowersofnuanceandsubtlety."StrangeFruit"soonbecamethehighlightofherperformances.ThoughJohnHammondrefusedtorecordit(notforitspoliticsbutforitsoverlypungentimagery),heallowedHolidayabitofleveragetorecordforCommodore,thelabelownedbyjazzrecord-storeownerMiltGabler.Oncereleased,"StrangeFruit"wasbannedbymanyradiooutlets,thoughthegrowingjukeboxindustry(andtheinclusionoftheexcellent"FineandMellow"ontheflip)madeitaratherlarge,thoughcontroversial,hit.ShecontinuedrecordingforColumbialabelsuntil1942,andhitbigagainwithhermostfamouscomposition,1941's"GodBlesstheChild."Gabler,whoalsoworkedA&RforDecca,signedhertothelabelin1944torecord"LoverMan,"asongwrittenespeciallyforherandherthirdbighit.Neatlyside-steppingthemusician'sunionbanthatafflictedherformerlabel,HolidaysoonbecameapriorityatDecca,earningtherighttotop-qualitymaterialandlavishstringsectionsforhersessions.ShecontinuedrecordingscatteredsessionsforDeccaduringtherestofthe'40s,andrecordedseveralofherbest-lovedsongsincludingBessieSmith's"'Tain'tNobody'sBusinessIfIDo,""ThemThereEyes,"and"CrazyHeCallsMe."

Thoughherartistrywasatitspeak,BillieHoliday'semotionallifebeganaturbulentperiodduringthemid-'40s.Alreadyheavilyintoalcoholandmarijuana,shebegansmokingopiumearlyinthedecadewithherfirsthusband,JohnnieMonroe.Themarriagedidn'tlast,buthotonitsheelscameasecondmarriagetotrumpeterJoeGuyandamovetoheroin.DespitehertriumphantconcertatNewYork'sTownHallandasmallfilmroleasamaid(!)withLouisArmstrongin1947'sNewOrleans,shelostagooddealofmoneyrunningherownorchestrawithJoeGuy.Hermother'sdeathsoonafteraffectedherdeeply,andin1947shewasarrestedforpossessionofheroinandsentencedtoeightmonthsinprison.

Unfortunately,Holiday'stroublesonlycontinuedafterherrelease.Thedrugchargemadeitimpossibleforhertogetacabaretcard,sonightclubperformanceswereoutofthequestion.Plaguedbyvariouscelebrityhawksfromallportionsoftheunderworld(jazz,drugs,songpublishing,etc.),shesoldieredonforDeccauntil1950.Twoyearslater,shebeganrecordingforjazzentrepreneurNormanGranz,owneroftheexcellentlabelsClef,Norgran,andby1956,Verve.Therecordingsreturnedhertothesmall-groupintimacyofherColumbiawork,andreunitedherwithBenWebsteraswellasothertop-flightmusicianssuchasOscarPeterson,Harry"Sweets"Edison,andCharlieShavers.Thoughtheravagesofahardlifewerebeginningtotaketheirtollonhervoice,manyofHoliday'smid-'50srecordingsarejustasintenseandbeautifulasherclassicwork.

During1954,HolidaytouredEuropetogreatacclaim,andher1956autobiographybroughtherevenmorefame(ornotoriety).Shemadeherlastgreatappearancein1957,ontheCBStelevisionspecialTheSoundofJazzwithWebster,LesterYoung,andColemanHawkinsprovidingaclosebacking.Oneyearlater,theLadyinSatinLPclothedhernaked,increasinglyhoarsevoicewiththeoverwroughtstringsofRayEllis.Duringherfinalyear,shemadetwomoreappearancesinEuropebeforecollapsinginMay1959ofheartandliverdisease.Stillprocuringheroinwhileonherdeathbed,HolidaywasarrestedforpossessioninherprivateroomanddiedonJuly17,hersystemcompletelyunabletofightbothwithdrawalandheartdiseaseatthesametime.Hercultofinfluencespreadquicklyafterherdeathandgavehermorefamethanshe'denjoyedinlife.The1972biopicLadySingstheBluesfeaturedDianaRossstrugglingtoovercometheconflictingmythsofHoliday'slife,butthefilmalsoilluminatedhertragiclifeandintroducedmanyfuturefans.Bythedigitalage,virtuallyallofHoliday'srecordedmaterialhadbeenreissued:byColumbia(ninevolumesofTheQuintessentialBillieHoliday),Decca(TheCompleteDeccaRecordings),andVerve(TheCompleteBillieHolidayonVerve1945-1959).

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BillieHoliday

虽然BillieHoliday的事业已经达到了巅峰，却也加速了她的死亡；她一直逃不出她童年悲苦命运的阴影，只好从酒精及麻药中去寻找避难所，20多岁就有严重酗酒的记录，直到最后一天的日子里，她的生命里就只有唱歌、烈酒、大麻和海洛因，还有无数令她伤心欲绝的男人。1959年她44岁，病毒发作死在医院里，身边也没有亲人，只有一群原本要捉她去戒护所的警察。但是这一切无法掩盖她的作品对所有喜欢爵士乐的人的影响力和重要性，你下次若有机会到美国Baltimore市(BillieHoliday的故乡)去玩，在Pennsylvania和Lafayette大道路口有一座3公尺高的BillieHoliday铜像，去看一看，再到附近的咖啡馆点一杯espresso，再听听她的音乐。

《strangefruit》

《Godblessthechild》

《巴黎的四月》

《Georgiaonmymind》

《GloomySunday》

《EasyLiving》