Billie Holiday
1915-1959 · American (Philadelphia/New York) · Jazz
Known for: Jazz vocalist of devastating emotional depth whose Strange Fruit confronted American racism
Holiday's life was among the most tragic in music. Raped at 10, prostituted by her mother, singing in Harlem clubs at 15. She was addicted to heroin, arrested on her deathbed, and died at 44 with 70 cents.
Yet her voice - small, fragile, with aching behind-the-beat phrasing - communicated emotional truths no other singer could touch. Strange Fruit, her anti-lynching song, was called 'the most important song of the 20th century.'
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.