Billie_Holiday

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday Billie Holiday was born on April 7,1915, in Baltimore. Billie Holiday's grandfather had been a Slave in Virgina. Billie's parents, Sally Fagan and Clarence Holiday, were both born in Baltimore. They married as teens, soon after, Sally gave birth to Eleanora Fagan. While growing up, she changed her name to Billie Holiday. Shortly after the birth, Clarence Holdiay deserted his family to tour with Fletcher Henderson's band. Billie saw little of her immediate family. Her mother would just usually leave her in the care of relatives. With the feeling of shame and loneliness Billie gained a inferiority complex. She began to do crazy things and was becoming quite self destructive. When Billie was six years of age her grandmother died. The family blamed the death on Billie's behavior. At ten she was victimized in a violent rape. When older she worked at a brothel where she cleaned the floors and ran old jobs. It was here that she first listened to the music of Louis Armstrong and Bes! sie Smith. In 1927 she moved to New York City. Not knowing any other life she made a living prostituting. But she still kept her dream of singing alive and eventually holiday, billie, songs, soon, one, new, louis, drug, band, after, while, time, recording, problems, orchestra, married, first, family, began, armstrong, again, years, trying, song, singing, shortly, sally, racism, out, next, named, name, music, movie, moved, mckay, marriage, marital, life, johnie, joe, holiday's, guy, great, feeling, famous, fagan, ended, drugs, died