THE OFFICIAL HOME OF
BILLIE HOLIDAY
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BILLIE'S STORY
Billie Holiday, born April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a superstar of her day. She first rose to prominence in the 1930’s with a unique style that reinvented the conventions of modern singing and performance. More than 80 years after making her first recording Billie’s legacy continues to embody what is elegant and cool in contemporary music. Holiday’s complicated life and her genre-defining autobiography “Lady Sings the Blues” made her a cultural icon. The evocative, soulful voice which she boldly put forth as a force for good, turned any song she sang into her own. Today, Billie Holiday is remembered for her musical masterpieces, her songwriting skills, creativity and courageous views on inequality and justice.
Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan Gough) grew up in jazz-soaked Baltimore of the 1920s. In her early teens, the beginning part of her “apprenticeship” was spent singing along with the records of iconoclasts Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. In 1929 Billie’s mother Sadie Fagan moved to New York in search of better jobs. Young Eleanora soon joined her there and began showing up at jazz clubs to audition and sing with resident pianists. She made debuts in obscure Harlem nightclubs, sharing tips with other dancers and comedians on the bill. Around this time she borrowed her professional name Billie Holiday from screen actress Billie Dove. Although she never received technical training and never learned how to read music, Holiday quickly became an active participant in what was then the most vibrant jazz scene in the country – as the Harlem Renaissance transitioned into the Swing Era.
AS TIME GOES BY
SOCIAL
PLAYLISTS
BILLIE THE SONGWRITER
SIGNATURE SONGS
LIST OF ALL SONGS
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
A Fine Romance | Fields/Kern |
A Foggy Day | Gershwin/Gershwin |
A Sailboat In The Moonlight | Loeb/Lombardo |
A Sunbonnet Blue (And A Yellow Straw Hat) | Fain/Kahal |
A Yiddish Momme | Pollack/Yellen |
Ain't Misbehavin' (I'm Savin' My Love For You) | Brooks/Razaf/Waller |
Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do | Grainger/Robbins |
All Of Me | Marks/Simons |
All Of You | Porter |
All Or Nothing At All | Altman/Lawrence |
All The Way | Cahn/VanHeusen |
Always | Berlin |
Am I Blue? | Akst/Clarke |
Any Old Time | Artie Shaw |
April In My Heart | Carmichael/Meinard |
April In Paris | Duke/Harburg |
As Time Goes By | Herman Hupfeld |
Autumn In New York | Duke |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Baby Get Lost | Feather |
Baby, I Don't Cry Over You | Krouse |
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home | Warfield/Williams |
Back In Your Own Backyard | Dreyer/Jolson/Rose |
Be Fair To Me Baby | Darnell/Mesner |
Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel) | Brown/Timm/Vejvoda |
Big Stuff | Bernstein |
Billie's Blues (I Love My Man) | Holiday |
Billie's Blues (Instrumental) | Holiday |
Blue Moon | Hart/Rodgers |
Blue Turning Grey Over You | Razaf/Waller |
Body And Soul | Eyton/Green/Heyman/Sour |
Born To Love | Jerome/Scholl |
But Beautiful | Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen |
But Not For Me | - |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man | Hammerstein/Kern |
Carelessly | Ellis/Kenny/Kenny |
Cheek To Cheek | Berlin |
Come Rain Or Come Shine | Arlen/Mercer |
Comes Love | Brown/Stept/Tobias |
Crazy He Calls Me | Russell/Sigman |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
'Deed I Do | Hirsch/Rose |
Darn That Dream | De Lange/Van Heusen |
Day In, Day Out | Bloom/Mercer |
Deep Song | Cory/Cross |
Detour Ahead | Frigo/Carter/Ellis |
Did I Remember? | Adamson/Donaldson |
Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me | Ellington/Russell |
Do You Know What It Means (To Miss New Orleans) | Alter/DeLange |
Do Your Duty | Wilson |
Don't Explain | Herzog/Holiday |
Don't Worry 'bout Me | Bloom/Koehler |
Dream Of Life | Henderson/McRae |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
East Of The Sun | Bowman |
Easy Living | Ranger/Robin |
Easy To Love | Porter |
Easy To Remember | Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers |
Eeny Meeny Miney Mo | Johnny Mercer / Matty Malneck |
Embraceable You | Gershwin/Gershwin |
Everybody's Laughing | Lerner/Oakland |
Everything Happens For The Best | Holiday/Smith |
Everything Happens To Me | Adair/Dennis |
Everything I Have Is Yours | Adamson/Lane |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Falling In Love Again | Hollander/Lerner |
Fanfare From Oh, Lady Be Good | - |
Farewell To Storyville | Williams/Williams |
Fine And Mellow | Holiday |
Foolin' Myself | Lawrence/Tinturin |
For All We Know | Sam M. Lewis / J. Fred Coots |
For Heaven's Sake | Don Meyer / Elsie Bretton / Sherman Edwards |
Forget If You Can | Joy/Manus/Upham |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
(I Don't Stand A) Ghost Of A Chance | Crosby/Washington/Young |
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You? | Razaf/Redman |
Georgia On My Mind | Carmichael/Gorrell |
Getting Some Fun Out Of Life | Burke/Leslie |
Ghost Of Yesterday | Herzog/Kitchings |
Gimmie A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer) | Wilson |
Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys | Blane |
Glad To Be Unhappy | Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers |
Gloomy Sunday | Lewis/Seress |
God Bless The Child | Herzog/Holiday |
Gone With The Wind | Magidson/Wrubel |
Good Morning Heartache | Drake/Fisher/Higginbotham |
Guess Who? | Freed/Lane |
Guilty | Akst/Kahn/Whiting |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Having Myself A Time | Ranger/Robin |
He Ain't Got Rhythm | Berlin |
He's Funny That Way | Richard A. Whiting / Neil Moret |
Hello, My Darling | Hollander/Loesser |
Here It Is Tomorrow Again | Gibbons/Ringwald |
How Am I To Know? | Jack King / Dorothy Parker |
How Could You? | Dubin/Warren |
How Deep Is The Ocean? | Berlin |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me | Gaskill/McHugh |
I Can't Face The Music | Bloom/Koehler |
I Can't Get Started | Duke/Gershwin |
I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby) | Fields/McHugh |
I Can't Pretend | Breuder/Rusincky/Tobias |
I Cover The Waterfront | Green/Heyman |
I Cried For You | Arnheim/Freed/Lyman |
I Didn't Know What Time It Was | Hart/Rodgers |
I Don't Know If I'm Coming Or Going | Fien/Wainer |
I Don't Want To Cry Anymore | Schertzinger |
I Get A Kick Out Of You | Porter |
I Get Along Without You Very Well | Carmichael |
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) | Ellington/Webster |
I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues | Arlen/Koehler |
I Hadn't Anyone Till You | Noble |
I Hear Music | Lane/Loesser |
I Must Have That Man | Fields/McHugh |
I Only Have Eyes For You | Dubin/Warren |
I Thought About You | Mercer/VanHeusen |
I Wish I Had You | Green/Stillman/Thornhill |
I Wished On The Moon | Parker/Ranger |
I Won't Believe It | Martin Block/Robinson/Selsman |
I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone | Johnson |
I'll Be Around | Alex Wilder |
I'll Be Seeing You | Sammy Fain / Irving Kahal |
I'll Get By | Ahlert/Turk |
I'll Look Around | Cory/Cross |
I'll Never Be The Same | Kahn/Maineck/Signorelli |
I'll Never Fail You | Mizzy/Taylor |
I'll Never Smile Again | Lowe |
I'm A Fool To Want You | J. Wolf / Herron / Sinatra |
I'm All For You | Bresler/Wynn |
I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key) | Eaton/Shand |
I'm In A Low Down Groove | Jacobs |
I'm Painting The Town Red | Tobias/Newman/Stept |
I'm Pulling Through | Herzog/Kitchings |
I'm Walkin' Through Heaven With You | Gordon/Turner |
I'm Yours | Johnny Green / E.Y. Harburg |
I've Got A Date With A Dream | Gordon/Revel |
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm | Berlin |
If Dreams Come True | Goodman/Mills/Sampson |
If I Were You | Bernier/Emmerich |
If My Heart Could Only Talk | Powell/Samuels/Whitcup |
If The Moon Turns Green | Coates/Hanighen |
If You Were Mine | Johnny Mercer / Matty Malneck |
Ill Wind | Arlen/Koehler |
Isn't This A Lovely Day | Berlin |
Israel | Herzog/Scott |
It Had To Be You | Jones/Kahn |
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie | Mayhew |
It's Easy To Blame The Weather | Cahn/Chaplin |
It's Like Reaching For The Moon | Lewis/Marqusee/Sherman |
It's Not For Me To Say | Allen/Stillman |
It's Too Hot For Words | Samuels/Whitcup/Powell |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Jeepers Creepers | Mercer/Warren |
Jim | Petrillo/Ross/Shawn |
Johnny Mercer Announcement | N.A. |
Just Friends | Klenner/Lewis |
Just One More Chance | Coslow/Johnson |
Just One Of Those Things | Porter |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Keeps On Rainin' | Kortlander/Williams |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Lady Sings The Blues | Holiday/Nichols |
Lady's Back In Town | Scott |
Laughing At Life | Kenny/Kenny/Todd/Todd |
Let's Call A Heart A Heart | Burke/Johnston |
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off | Gershwin/Gershwin |
Let's Do It | Porter |
Let's Dream In The Moonlight | Malneck/Walsh |
Life Begins When You're In Love | Brown/Schertzinger |
Long Gone Blues | Holiday |
Love For Sale | Porter |
Love Me Or Leave Me | Donaldson/Kahn |
Loveless Love | Handy |
Lover Come Back To Me | Romberg/Hammerstein |
Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?) | Davis/Ramirez/Sherman |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Mandy Is Two | McGrath/Mercer |
Maybe You'll Be There | Bloom/GAllop |
Me, Myself And I (Are All In Love With You) | Gordon/Kaufman/Roberts |
Mean To Me | Ahlert/Turk |
Misery | Scott |
Miss Brown To You | Ranger/Robin/Whiting |
Moanin' Low | Deitz/Rainger |
Moonglow | De Lange/Hudson/Mills |
Moonlight In Vermont | Blackburn/Suessdorf & Blackburn |
More Than You Know | Eliscu/Rose/Youman |
My First Impression Of You | Stept/Tobias |
My Funny Valentine | - |
My Man | Charles/Pollack/Williametz/Yvain |
My Old Flame | Arthur Johnson / Sam Coslow |
My Sweet Hunk O'trash | Johnson/Miller |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
(You Ain't Gonna Bother Me) No More | Camarata/Russell |
Nice Work If You Can Get It | Gershwin/Gershwin |
Night And Day | Porter |
No Good Man | Fisher/GAllop/Higginbotham |
No Regrets | Ingraham/Tobias |
Norman Granz Announcement | N.A. |
Now Or Never | Holiday/Lewis |
Now They Call It Swing | Deleath/Hirsch |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Ole Miss (Instrumental) | Handy |
On The Sentimental Side | Burke/Monaco |
On The Sunny Side Of The Street | Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh |
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) | Arlen/Mercer |
One Never Knows - Does One? | Gordon/Revell |
One, Two, Button Your Shoe | Burke/Johnston |
Our Love Is Different | Clinton/Bernier |
Our Love Is Here To Stay | - |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
(I Love You) Porgy | Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward |
P.S. I Love You | Jenkins/Mercer |
Pennies From Heaven | Burke/Johnson |
Please Keep Me In Your Dreams | Lawnhurst/Seymour |
Please Tell Me Now | Clawson/Pope |
Please, Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone | Clare/Palmer/Stept |
Practice Makes Perfect | Gold/Roberts |
Prelude To A Kiss | Ellington/Irving Gordon/Mills |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Remember | Berlin |
Restless | Coslow/Satterfield |
Riffin' The Scotch | Goodman-Buck-McDonough |
Rocky Mountain Blues | Heywoo/Tucker |
Romance In The Dark | Coslow/Neisen |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Saddest Tale | Ellington |
Say It Isn't So | Berlin |
Say It With A Kiss | Mercer/Warren |
Says My Heart | Lane/Loesser |
Sentimental & Melancholy | Mercer/Whiting |
Softly | Beal/Greene |
Solitude | DeLange/Ellington/Mills |
Some Of These Days | Brooks |
Some Other Spring | Wilson/Herzog |
Somebody's On My Mind | Herzog/Holiday |
Sometimes I'm Happy | Caesar/Grey/Youman |
Sophisticated Lady | Ellington/Mills/Parish |
Speak Low | Nash/Weill |
Spreadin' The Rhythm Around | Koehler/McHugh |
Squeeze Me | - |
St. Louis Blues | Handy |
Stars Fell On Alabama | Parish/Perkins |
Stormy Blues | Holiday |
Stormy Weather | Arlen/Koehler |
Strange Fruit | Allan/Marks |
Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine) | Alexander/Mitchell/Pinkard |
Summertime | Gershwin/Gershwin/Heyward |
Sun Showers | Brown/Freed |
Swing, Brother Swing | Bishop/Raymond/Williams |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Tell Me More And More (And Then Some) | Holiday |
Tenderly | Gross/Lawrence |
That Ole Devil Called Love | Fisher/Roberts |
That's All I Ask Of You | Pope |
That's Life I Guess | DeRose/Lewis |
The Blues Are Brewin' | Alter/DeLange |
The End Of A Love Affair | Edward C. Redding |
The Man I Love | Gershwin/Gershwin |
The Mood That I'm In | Sherman/Silver |
The Moon Looks Down And Laughs | Kalmar/Ruby/Silvers |
The Nearness Of You | Carmichael/Washington |
The Same Old Story | Field/Oliphant |
The Very Thought Of You | Noble |
The Way You Look Tonight | Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern |
Them There Eyes | Pinkard/Tauber/William Tracey |
There Is No Greater Love | Jones/Symes |
There'll Be Some Changes Made | Higgins/Overstreet |
These 'n' That 'n' Those | Fairchild/Pascal |
These Foolish Things | Marvell/Strachey/Walker |
They Can't Take That Away From Me | Gershwin/Gershwin |
They Say | Heyman/Weiss |
Things Are Looking Up | Gershwin/Gershwin |
This Is Heaven To Me | Reardon/Schweikert |
This Year's Kisses | Berlin |
Time On My Hands | Adamson/Gordon/Youman |
Too Marvelous For Words | Mercer/Whiting |
Trav'lin' All Alone | Johnson |
Trav'lin' Light | Mercer/Young |
Trav'lin' Light, With Reading From 'Lady Sings The Blues' | Mercer/Young |
Twenty-Four Hours A Day | Arthur Swanstrom / Hanley |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Under A Blue Jungle Moon | Brisben/Conway |
Underneath The Stars | - |
Until The Real Thing Comes Along | Chaplin/Holiner/Kahn/Nichols |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Violets For Your Furs | Tom Adair / Matt Dennis |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
We'll Be Together Again | Fischer/Laine |
Weep No More | Adair/Jenkins |
What A Little Moonlight Can Do | Woods |
What A Night, What A Moon, What A Girl | Loeb |
What Is This Going To Get Us? | Herzog/Kitchings |
What Is This Thing Called Love? | Porter |
What Shall I Say? | Tinturin |
What's New? | Burke/Haggart |
When A Woman Loves A Man | Hanighen/Jenkins/Mercer |
When It's Sleepy Time Down South | Clarence Muse/Otis/Rene |
When You Are Away, Dear | Blossom/Herbert |
When You're Smiling | Fisher/Goodwin/Shay |
When Your Lover Has Gone | Swan |
Where Is The Sun? | David/Redmond |
Wherever You Are | Friend/Tobias |
Who Loves You? | Coots/Davis |
Who Wants Love? | Kahn/Waxman |
Why Did I Always Depend On You? | Greenwood/McRae/Smith |
Why Was I Born? | Hammerstein/Kern |
Willis Conover Announcement | N.A. |
Willow Weep For Me | Ronell |
With Thee I Swing | Adlam/Hyde/Stillman |
Without Your Love | Lange/Stryker |
Song Title | Writer(s) |
---|---|
Yankee Doodle Never Went To Town | Arthur Freed / Bernie Hanighan |
Yesterdays | Kern/Harbach |
You Better Go Now | Graham/Reichner |
You Can't Be Mine (And Someone Else's Too) | Johnson/Webb |
You Can't Lose A Broken Heart | Johnson/Miller |
You Don't Know What Love Is | Don Raye / Gene DePaul |
You Go To My Head | Coots/Gillespie |
You Gotta Show Me | - |
You Let Me Down | Dubin/Warren |
You Showed Me The Way | Fitzgerald/Green/McRae/Webb |
You Took Advantage Of Me | Hart/Rodgers |
You Turned The Tables On Me | Alter/Mitchell |
You're A Lucky Guy | Cahn/Chaplin |
You're Driving Me Crazy | Donaldson |
You're Gonna See A Lot Of Me | Curtis/Goodhard/Hoffman |
You're Just A No Account | Cahn/Chaplin |
You're My Thrill | Clare/Gorney |
You're So Desirable | Noble |
You're Too Lovely To Last | Beal/Fraser/McRae |
You've Changed | Bill Carey / Carl Fischer |
Your Mother's Son-In-Law | Holiner/Nichols |
Yours And Mine | Brown/Freed |
FEATURED ALBUMS
BILLIE HOLIDAY STYLE
TV/FILM/DOCUMENTARIES
BOOKS & DVD'S
The following is a comprehensive list of Billie Holiday in the printed word, courtesy of writer/broadcaster Ian Clayton.
Billie Holiday with William Dufty, (1956) Lady Sings the Blues; Doubleday. The notorious autobiography on which the film of the same name is loosely based.
John Szwed, (2016) Billie Holiday: The Musician and the Myth; Penguin Books. Offers a portrait of Lady Day as artist and mythmaker rather than tragic victim.
John Chilton, (1975) Billie's Blues; Quartet. Well researched hard facts about Billie’s recording career.
Chris Ingham, (2000) Billie Holiday; Unanimous. An entry in the “Diva’s” series.
David Margolick, (2000) Strange Fruit; Running Press. The impact of “Café Society and an early cry for human rights.
Bud Kliment, (1990) Billie Holiday-Singer; Chelsea House. Black Americans of achievement series.
Leslie Gourse, (1997) Billie Holiday Companion; Schirmer. Compilation of various, mostly hard to find writings on Billie.
John White, (1987) Billie Holiday: Her Life and Times; Spellmount. Larger format book in “Jazz Lifetimes” series.
Leslie Gourse, (1995) Billie Holiday - The tragedy and triumph of Lady Day.; Franklin Watts.
Stuart Nicholson, (1995) Billie Holiday; Victor Gollancz. A model of biographical writing, much previously unknown material.
Michel Fontanes, (1999) Billie et Paris; Editions Rive Droite. Thoroughly researched chronicle of Billies time in Paris 1954 and 1958. English translation available.
Marc-Edouard Nabe, (1986) L‘âme de Billie Holiday; L’infini Denoël. Novel, not published in English.
Farah Jasmin Griffin, (2001) If You Can't Be Free, Be A Mystery; The Free Press. A groundbreaking study that confronts the myths.
Robert O’Meally, (1991) Lady Day, The Many Faces of Billie Holiday; Arcade. Superbly illustrated; scholarly and enlightened.
Donald Clarke, (1994) Wishing On the Moon; Viking Penguin. A near definite account.
Burnett James, (1984) Billie Holiday; Spellmount/Hippocrene. Small Format, An introduction in the Jazz Masters series.
Melvin Maddocks, (1979) Billie Holiday (Giants of Jazz); Time Life. Biography to accompany a Time Life record set.
Ken Vail, (1996) Lady Day’s Diary; Castle. A month by month Chronology of Lady’s career.
Paola Boncompagni, (1992) Lady Day Life and Songs; Nuovi Equilibri. Small format book to accompany mini CD from Italy.
Julia Blackburn, (2005) With Billie; Jonathan Cape. A well constructed book, uses interviews undertaken by Linda Kuehl in the 1970’s.
Magdalena Alagna, (2003) Billie Holiday (Rock & Roll Hall of Famers); Rosen. An entry in the “rock and roll hall of famers” series, introduction for teenagers.
Alain Gerber, (2005) Lady Day, Histoires d’Amour; Fayard. A novel about Billie in French.
Danièle Robert, (1995) Les Chants de l’Aube de Lady Day; Le Temps Qu’Il Faut. A novel about Billie’s life in French.
Sylvia Fol, (2006) Billie Holiday; Folio. A complete book in French of Billie’s life with several insights on Billie's ambiguous sexuality.
Eric Hobsbawm, (1998) Uncommon People, Rebellion and Jazz; Wiedenfield and Nicholson. Includes an obituary of Billie.
Françoise Sagan, (1984) Avec Mon Meilleur Souvenir; Folio. In english "With Fondest Regards” (1998) Alison and Busby, affectionate and candid tribute.
Angela Y. Davies, (1999) Blues Legacies, Black Feminism; Vintage. Scholarly research into the sociology of blues and jazz from female standpoint.
Robyn Archer & Diane Symonds, (1986) A Star is Torn; Virago. An anthology of various women singers, part of a stageshow.
Burnett James, (1964) Essays on Jazz; Jazz Book Club. An essay called "Billie Holiday and the Art of Communication."
Bennu Green, (1964) The Reluctant Art; Jazz Book Club. A forty page essay called "Billie Holiday."
Martin T. Williams, (1962) The Art of Jazz; Jazz Book Club. Essay entitled "Billie Holiday" by Glen Coulter.
Martin T. Williams, (1965) Jazz Panorama; Jazz Book Club. Another essay by Glen Coulter, reviewing Billie records.
Leonard Feather, (1974) From Satchmo to Miles; Stein and Day. Personal stories from the great jazz writer.
Martin Williams, (1983) The Jazz Tradition; Oxford Univ. Press. An essay entitled: "Actress without an act."
Max Jones, (1987) Talking Jazz; McMillan Press. Adventures involving the writer and Billie on tour in England 1954.
Roy Carr, (1999) Jazz Singers; Hamlyn. Glossy, large format introduction to jazz vocalists.
Francis Davis, (1990) Outcats; Oxford Univ. Press. Essays on jazz people including "The Man Who Danced with Billie Holiday."
Will Friedwald, (1991) Jazz Singing; Quartet. Superb book, essay called "Lady Day and Lady Time."
Hettie Jones, (1974) Big Star Fallin' Mama; Viking. Warm portraits of five singers including Billie.
Henry Pleasants, (1974) The Great American Popular Singers; Victor Gollancz. A wonderful survey of vocal art.
Kitty Grime, (1983) Jazz Voices; Quartet. A patchwork of interviews with jazz people, a chapter about Billie.
Studs Terkel, (1957) Giants of Jazz; The New Press. A series of beautifully observed portraits, chapter on Billie "God Bless The Child."
Carol Boston, (2009) Becoming Billie Holiday; Weatherford. Award-winning poet and professor excellent book—a fictional verse memoir.
Maya Angelou, (1986) The Heart of a Woman; Virago. Fourth volume of the great black writer's autobiography.
Jeremy Reed, (1999) Angels Divas and Black Listed Heroes; Peter Owen. A challenging series of essays by poet and novelist.
Leslie Gourse, (1995) Madame Jazz; Oxford Univ. Press. The history of women in Jazz.
Sally Placksin, (1985) Jazz Women, 1900 to the Present; Pluto. Words, lives and music of nearly a century of jazz women.
Leslie Gourse, (1984) Louis’ Children American Jazz Singers; Quill. A comprehensive overview of the Louis Armstrong legacy.
Harry Shapiro, (1988) Waiting for the Man; Quartet. Drugs and their links to popular music.
Arnold Shaw, (1977) 52nd Street: The Street of Jazz; Da Capo. Originally published as "The Street That Never Slept," a slice of jazz nightlife.
Buck Clayton, (1986) Buck Clayton’s Jazz World; McMillan. Story of the great trumpeter and Billie accompanist.
Ted Fox, (1985) Show Time at the Apollo; Quartet. A survey of 50 years of the great Harlem theatre.
William P. Gottleib, (1995) The Golden Age of Jazz; Pomegranate. A nostalgic look back to the 1930’s and 40’s.
Charles Fox & Valerie Wilmer, (1971) The Jazz Scene; Hamlyn. A nicely illustrated overview.
Joachim Berendt, (1984) The Jazz Book (Revised Edition); Paladin. One of the truly great jazz histories.
Geoffrey C. Ward & Ken Burns, (2000) Jazz, A History of America’s Music; Pimlico. Excellent research, beautifully illustrated tie in to TV series.
Teddy Wilson, A. Lightart, H. Van Loo, (1996) Teddy Wilson Talks Jazz; Cassell. A candid account account of Wilson’s life and career.
Arnold Shaw, (1986) Black Popular Music in America; Schirmer. Comprehensive and well researched.
John Chilton, (1979) Jazz; Hodder and Stoughton. Intro to history and practice of jazz music, best of this type.
Whitney Balliet, (1964) Dinosaurs in the Morning; J. Dent. Essays by the New York Times Jazz critic.
Stanley Dance, (1974) The World of Swing; Scribners. A chronicle of the big band era.
Philip Larkin, (1970) All What Jazz; Faber. Criticism and record reviews by famous English poet.
Cynthia Palmer & Michael Horowitz, (2000) Sisters of the Extreme; Park St. Press. Women writing about their drug experience.
John Wieners, (1996) 707 Scott St.; Sun and Moon. Poetry and prose dedicated to Billie.
Anne Grifalconi, (1999) Tinny’s Hat; Harper Collins. For children, a young girl wears her musician father’s hat.
Robert Somma, (1973) No One Waved Goodbye; Charisma. Includes the poem "The Day Lady Day Died (Lunch Poems 1963).
Alexis De Veaux, (1988) Don’t Explain; Writers and Readers. A prose poem in tribute to Billie.
Carlos Sampayo & Jose Munoz, (1993) Billie Holiday; Fantagraphics Books. Imaginative stuff, a graphic novel.
Elisabeth Hardwick, (1979) Sleepless Nights; Random House. A stunning novel, taking in memory, affection and Billie Holiday in Harlem.
Jeremy Reed, (2001) Saint Billie; Enitharmon Press. An anthology that captures the drama of Billie’s life and the jazz age.
Leonard Feather, (1960) The Encyclopeadia of Jazz; Arthur Baker. One of the first in the field and still very reliable.
John Chilton, (1970) Who’s Who of Jazz; Bloomsbury. Obsessively comprehensive.
David Meeker, (1981) Jazz in the Movies; Talisman. Indispensable guide to jazz on film, includes all of Billie appearances plus TV.
John Fordham, (1993) Jazz; Dorling Kindersley. History, instruments, musicians, recordings, a connoisseur’s book.
Ian Carr, D. Fairweather, B. Priestlet, (1987) Jazz Essential Companion; Grafton. Homage to jazz musicians everywhere.
Richard Cook, Brian Morton, (1992) Pengin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP and Cassette; Penguin. Definitive reference work with criticism of all available recordings.
Roy Carr, (1998) A Century of Jazz; Hamlyn. Beautifully illustrated celebration of jazz history.
Brian Case, S. Britt, C. Murray, (1986) Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz; Salamender. For the buff or the new fan.
Barry MaCrae, (1987) The Jazz Handbook; Longman. Practical, easy to use and insightful.
Jack Millar, (1979) Born to Swing; JazzMedia (Denmark). A model for all discographical writing. Updated by Jack Millar until his death in 1999.