Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady (Day)

I just finished reading the fabulous biography, With Billie, by Julia Blackburn.  I highly recommend this book not only to fans of Billie Holiday but also to anyone interested in the history of jazz, African Americans, drugs, and/or women.  Using interviews and other data collected by Linda Kuehl (who had planned to write a book about Billie in the 70s but committed suicide before she completed it) Blackburn provides a fascinating collection of firsthand accounts of Billie and her relationships (included are interviews with family friends, musicians, music lovers, boyfriends, lawyers, DEA employees, etc.), interspersed with chapters providing short histories of related topics such as lynching, Harlem, alcohol and narcotics.  I really enjoyed "hearing" all the different voices and am glad that Blackburn included conflicting stories.  While reading them I became fascinated with the idea of memory and perception and how this could lead to such different versions of the same events.  Really intriguing!  Also, I came to a new understanding of how Billie was discriminated against because she was black, a woman, a drug user, and a singer of one of the most controversial (but also beautiful) songs of her time (Strange Fruit).  It made me wish I had the chance to meet Lady Day in person and to give her a big hug.

Comments

[Jessica]

Hi,

I saw your link on planeta hilda. I also am a Billie Holiday fan here in Denver, Colorado (btw today is cold and cloudy), and just listened to Lady Sings The Blues on our local jazz radio station Jazz89: Kuvo.org (voted best jazz station in the U.S.) - you can hear streaming audio on their website. Especially like latin jazz.

That book sounds interesting. I'm going to have to check it out. Also, I'm putting your blog link on mine.

Hope you get more sunshine soon,
~~Jessica

[Julia]

Thanks for the review. Ah, Billie...

[paper lily]

Your review of this book is very well written and thought provoking. It's a great synopsis for those of us who haven't read it (yet?). I'd like to read more non-fiction, especially biographies, but I always find myself gravitating back to fiction books.