Billie Holiday, born as Eleanora Fagan in Baltimore Maryland, is one of the greatest Jazz singers in American history.  Her easily recognizable voice and trademarked riffs solidified Holiday's uniqueness at early stages in her career.  Best known for socially charged songs like "Strange Fruit", Billie's music has, like many other Jazz musicians transcended time, genres, and generations.  

Billie Holiday spent her teenage years singing in the Jazz clubs of Baltimore to Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong.  It was in these clubs that she would begin to hone her vocal abilities early on in her musicianship.  Billie soon moved to New York with her mother and began debuting her talents in Harlem Jazz clubs.  Soon after, her admiration of actor Billie Dove would lead her to coin her own stage name: Billie Holiday (also known as "Lady Day").  Billie was noticed by John Hammond in one of those popping Jazz night clubs in Harlem at the tender age of 18 and immediately began recording studio songs with several groups.  Holiday went on to work with Count Basie in 1937 and Arthur Shaw in 1938, becoming the first Black woman to sing with a white orchestra.  Although Billie could barely read music and had no technical training, it was an insurmountable feat during this time in American history for her to be able to work with an all white orchestra.  She would go on after this accomplishment to tour Europe, record hundreds of songs, and work with several record labels all while carving her name as an important piece of social justice and history.  With her signature white gardenias, affective voice, and impressive musical career, Billie Holiday will forever be revered and remembered as the classic Lady Who Sings The Blues. 

Salute to Billie Holiday and her Royal Pipes. 

Source

1) Billie Holiday-The Official Website of Billie Holiday; http://www.billieholiday.com; 2015