Billie Holiday’s 16 Most Requested Songs, is a lasting tribute to ’’lady Day’’ (A nickname given to Billie Holiday back in the early 1930’s)
All of Miss Holiday’s songs are sung with the same soulful, hurting style of the woman who was brought up in poverty, pain and drugs.
Some called her a blues singer, some a jazz singer and some a torch singer. I believe she was all three rolled into one.
This album shows just that, with songs such as, Miss Brown to you (with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra-1935), If You Were Mine (1935), I Can’t give You Anything But Love (1036), I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (1937), My Man (My favorite..1935) God Bless The Child (1941) and many more.
The story goes that Miss Holiday sung her best when strung out on Heroin. But whatever the story is, there is no one that can come close to her singing style.
In the beginning of 1959 a law was passed that forbid anyone with a police record from performing in New York clubs that served liquor, and that was the beginning of the end for her. New York was her home and where she loved performing the most.
After that she played illegally in some small Harlem clubs, but it just wasn’t the same anymore.
In 1959, joined by her long time friend, Frank Sinatra, at her bedside, Miss Holiday sang her last song for the world , strung out on drugs. She sadly died shortly thereafter.
If nothing else Miss Holiday left us with a wonderful collection of songs to be treasured and heard for many, many years to come.
Check out the album, I’m sure you’ll agree. This album, in particular shows us her wonderful range of music and songs.