Billie Holiday

Tells the story of the greatest jazz singer of them all, a story of conflict & contradictions. Brought up a staunch Catholic but compelled to satisfy a tremendous hedonistic appetite, Billie Holiday was a singer who was instinctive & unschooled, yet produced music of remarkable melodic & rhythmic sophistication. She remains a black female icon, representing on the one hand a figure to aspire to -- the noble, salty spirit of defiance in a racist world -- on the other a cautionary tale -- a victim, a disheartening figure of dependency, hooked on narcotics, alcohol & abusive men. With a detailed biography, an opinionated discography & an insightful evaluation of her influence, this book is the perfect guide to a woman known quite simply as Lady Day. B&W photos.Ingham, Chris is the author of 'Billie Holiday ', published 2000 under ISBN 9780756777371 and ISBN 0756777372.