I was about to make the same exact comment. This song was a real tearjerker almost 80 years past. Many Americans were off fighting in Europe and the Pacific between 1941 and 1945, some never came back. Those at home who had men and boys in combat would have to turn the radio off when this song was played.
Was just going to comment the same thing, Its a wonderfully bitter sad song that as you rightfully say caught the hearts of those millions affected by WWII
Billie Holiday had a very hard life. She was addicted to heroin for most of her singing career, and spent time in prison for drug offenses. She died at just 44 years old. As Amber says, the pain of her life is easy to hear in her voice, and there are a lot of parallels to Amy Winehouse. As others have suggested, please check out Strange Fruit, a very difficult but uniquely powerful song about lynchings in the South.
The thought of a national - worldwide - treasure like Billie Holiday dying in the hospital and under arrest is heartbreaking. Hardly anyone listens to the bright and optimistic songs from early in her career, which is a shame. To know them makes Strange Fruit even more meaningful.
She had an entire racist culture against her. Please watch the United States vs Billie Holiday movie. They included a lot of true documentation of law enforcement that took advantage of her drug and alcohol vulnerabilities to incarcerate her and prevent her from spreading her “messaging”.
One of my all-time favorite singers. "Lady Sings the Blues" was okay, but took a lot of liberties. "Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill" is much more accurate and a better portrayal of Billie Holiday and her life.
Hands down my favorite female jazz vocalist, Billie’s voice was a mirror to her soul…I sure hope you guys have the pleasure of exploring her music more in years to come. Some of my favorite songs Billie recorded also express her joyous side, beginning with her first recording, ‘What a Little Moonlight Can Do. “ just magical. Thank you
@randyallbee1173 As a 20 yo Arab I couldn't be further from jazz. Yet I've found beauty in Holiday's voice that's unreplicated even in some of my other favourites like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. Please do share more songs for me to get into.
Billie Holiday was truely someone special. She lived a hard life with a sad and pitiful ending leaving us way too soon. Although gone she shall never be forgotten. Holiday touched so many hearts down through the years with her music. Way ahead of her time, for sure. If you guys havn't yet you gotta check out "Strange Fruit". Glad we still have her recordings. Nobody does it like Ms Holiday.
Long story. I'd heard of Billie Holiday many times before I ever actually listened to her. I bought a cassette of her music in a tiny jazz store in Oceanside, Ca. when I was a young Marine. (1983). I put the tape into my Walkman...and hated her voice. I didn't understand why she was so important. I kept listening, knowing that I was missing a BIG piece of the puzzle. Then it occurred to me...Ms Holiday had the most authentic voice I'd ever heard. She was so very different to what I was used to listening to. Her talent was so LARGE, so very perfect that I was stunned. Billie Holiday is one of the few singers that can actually make me tear up from such JOY that I am allowed to listen to her sing. I feel it is an honor, a privilege, a blessing, to hear her voice. Thank you for reacting to this song. Song suggestions: Don't Explain, Gloomy Sunday, Stormy Weather, God Bless the Child, What a Little Moonlight Can Do, and (of course) Strange Fruit. The last being one of the most important songs ever recorded by an American (IMHO). She didn't write that song, nor was she the first to record it, but her version IS the most iconic. Blessings to all who read my whole comment!
Awesome. I discovered her around the same time except I was a teenager in high school and NOBODY I went to school with had heard of her and they thought I was the strangest for loving this stuff. But it moved me to tears upon hearing her the first time. I found a cassette tape of her greatest hits at a garage sale. But I could hear her experiences, pain and triumphs in her voice. Nothing contrived. Thanks for sharing that
If you are not familiar with it, you need to listen to Billie's "Strange Fruit" a deep, poignant, enraging song. If not on the channel, it's a song you and your kids need to know.
"Strange Fruit" was such a brave song to sing..because it called out the truth about what was happening. It is a song that everyone should hear, when they are old enough to really understand what she is talking about. People need to know, period.
Always makes me cry, in some ways we have come a long way thanks to artists calling it out like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Vera Hall, Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield, but equally depressing is we still have such a long way to go for true equality and opportunity for all.
Yes, everybody does need to hear Lady Day sing "Strange Fruit." Interesting side fact - Abe Meeropol, who wrote "Strange Fruit," and his wife adopted the two very young sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg after the Rosenbergs were executed in the electric chair as atomic spies. Relatives were afraid to take the boys during the Red Scare of the 1950s when even knowing someone or being related to someone could turn into an accusation with deadly outcomes. The Meeropols saved the boys from an orphanage.
Sometimes I (as a 70 year old woman) forget how brutally hard the WWI and WWII years were, not only for the men and women who had to fight the wars, but for those that they loved that were left behind to raise the children, keep families fed and dealt with the uncertainty of if or when their loved oneS would ever come back. Entire families torn apart. Similar were Bing Crosby's I'll be home for Christmas and White Christmas.
Kathie says…This was a VERY VERY popular song during World War II. The sadness of the soldier…the sadness of his sweetheart…OVERWHELMING, homesick sadness. In Japan, “Tokyo Rose” played this kind of music on her radio program to depress our military men. In Germany “Lord Haw Haw” would play this song and others similar, to deflate the spirits of our military men as well. What a sad time . Billie Holiday sang this song to PERFECTION. Many who listened to it back then went to sleep on tear stained pillows. My dad, a D Day, Battle of the Bulge and The Invasion of North Africa veteran, told me this.
There is not a single Billie Holiday song that is not breathtakingly beautiful ❤ one of these days y’all should watch Lady Sings the Blues. It’s Ms. Diana Ross playing Billie Holiday in a biopic. It doesn’t even have to be for the channel, but for your own enjoyment. This song is also heavily featured in the film The Notebook, which Amber will LOVE!
Well the song isn't itself British, Fain and Kahal being American, but yes Vera Lynn famously, and beautifully, covered it. I met Dame Vera once in the 80s after a concert in Canada. Classy and gracious. Still the only world famous person I have met...
The depth of emotion, the love expressed in WWII songs still stuns me. So many lives rended... I heard today America lost 15,000 pilots in training accidents, just learning how to fly. The life expectancy of bomber pilots was measured in weeks, and yet my dad survived. You have no idea how lucky I am to even be here.
same with me, I am 77 and both my parents are gone now, my dad was a musician who played in the Big Bands back in the '40s and '50s. He died at 102 in 2020 and played gigs until he was 98. He played four instruments, violin, clarinet, sax and flute. I grew up listening to this song, and it always brings me to tears....EVEN when I was a small child in the early '50s! It makes me think of my parents.
She had a very painful life, and that came through even on happier songs. "Strange Fruit" may be shocking when you get the lyrics, but her control and velvety delivery are unmatched.
In 1984 I was living in Washington DC, and woke up from a very real dream of visiting my grandmother. In the dream we had lunch, talked and laughed. She put THIS song on the record player. Shortly after I awoke I got a call from my mother letting me know my grandmother had passed away overnight.
My mom lived with me in her final years. She had dementia, and this is one of the oldies we would often sing togsther. She remembered every word...now I can't hear this without brea!ing into tears, and I am seeing her!!!
I'd recommend "Strange Fruit" because it's a brilliant song, but be warned, it will break your heart and it is intense. But still a relevant message 85 years after it was written.
I've never heard Billie Holiday sing this before. So forties, but at such a s-l-o-w tempo! Just about everyone has done this one, but usually just a bit faster. Guess who also sings it? Rod Stewart on his first America's Songbook album. He's such a great singer that he can do any genre, and he did about 4 albums of these old classics. Honestly, 1 was enough for me as far as purchasing goes.
Billie was a big influence on Amy Winehouse, you can definitely hear it in her phrasing. Amy used to sing to her father's Billie Holiday records when she was young. Billie has a massive catalog, enought for one every Female Friday for years and years!
Diana Ross played her in the movie, Lady Sings the Blues. It’s a great movie. It’s very touching and she delivered an outstanding performance. Diana’s mother thought that she was actually on drugs in the movie because her portrayal of Billie was do real.
Billie, along with many other black artists, suffered a lot of discrimination back in her day and was not allowed to perform in certain clubs and venues. For some reason her voice always reminds me of my grandmother who was from the same era.. A very classic voice for sure!
Before I was born and my mother uaed to hum and sing this while cleaning and cooking, memories, memories, memories, wonderful times. Luv you two and the family. Your faithful follower. 🩵💜💚🫶💯👍🎶🎧👏
Beautiful just beautiful. Her voice is so comforting to me. I also love the sound of the mics from that era. Great choice guys. She’s timeless. Have a great night everyone
The song was composed by Sammy Fain and the lyrics by Irving Kahal. It was first published in 1938. Fain and Kahal worked together on many songs from 1926 to 1942. I'll be seeing you became popular in 1943 during the war. The Billie Holliday version of this song was the final transmission sent by NASA to the Opportunity rover on Mars when its mission ended in February 2019.
Lady Day! "Strange Fruit" is one of the most powerful songs I know of. I get shivers every time I hear it. (Wait til you realize what the strange fruit is!)
Amber, Billie Holiday had a very sad life, and it came out through her art and expression. God Bless the Child and Strange Fruit are two of her most famous songs that you have to hear.
I heard a Billie Holiday song the other day and thought, why don’t I listen to her more. Thank you, thank you for whoever suggested this and Amber for picking her.
One of the great songs of all time. Written and scored for a Broadway show, it didn't make it to the opening. But many musicians who heard it loved it, and it has been recorded on and off since 1940 by many famous artists. The version by Jo Stafford for the British public and troops is considered a true gem. She recorded it in 1944, the same year as Lady Day.
Sitting with my feet up and a mug of soup warming my hands,and what could make this moment better? Billie Holiday singing while I completely relax, thank you ❤
Also from the 40s I recommend The Andrew Sisters who sang a lot of WWII songs and it’s reflected in the lyrics of their songs “Shoo Shoo Baby” “Bei Mir Bistu Shein" “Near You” “Down By The Ohio” “Hold Tight! (Want some seafood, mama)”
Yaaaaaaaaaaaas! Billie Holiday!!! I LOVE her voice! This is a beautiful song no matter who does it but there is just something very special about her rendition. The best way I can describe her voice is "dreamy." One of my all-time favorite female vocalists of all time along with Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and the wonderful Nancy Wilson! Thanks for reacting to this song and particularly her version. It is a bittersweet song for sure and her voice certainly conveys so much emotion.
You should also check out Bessie Smith, jazz/blues artist and actress who's recording career went from 1923-1937 (Downhearted Blues, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Baby Won't You Please Come Home). There's also Ma Rainey and her songs Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Moonshine Blues, Deep Moaning Blues, and Prove It On Me Blues. Ethel Waters had a longer career and also acted and some of her songs include Stormy Weather, Sweet Georgia Brown, Am I Blue?, Dinah, Taking a Chance On Love, There'll Be Some Changes Made. These ladies all influenced later generations.
I can’t believe nobody had mentioned the 2021 film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”. The woman who played Billie is Andra Day who is fantastic in her own. Right. It was her first acting gig and she won the Golden Globe for her performance and was nominated for an Oscar. Definitely worth checking out.
Its amazing how clear and pristine the sound is from an analogue recording from 80 years ago! Thanks to modern digital sound processing we can enjoy these treasures again.
I also love her classic "Strange Fruit" You got to see Diana Ross play her in the Motown sponsored movie "Lady Sings the Blues" back in the 70's. It was a very good movie.
This takes me back to going to older bars where everyone smoked , the entertainment was fantastic! The younger generation won’t understand the feel, smoking wasn’t good for you , but it’s an experience
On Ella Fitzgerald's 75th birthday, the Village Voice jazz critic wrote that the only people who prefer Billie Holiday to Ella are those who believe misery is a more legitimate emotion than joy. I agree with rhat, while also believing that nobody can touch some of Ms Holiday's performances. I'm especially fond of her recordings on the Verve label, when her voice is totally shot and she's higher than a kite but, like a pitcher who's lost his fastball, she finds a way to get strike outs. There's a great nobility in figuring out how to navigate your decline.
Interesting, never read that Village Voice description. Ella's great, but I've always preferred Billie. So now you have me questioning my mental health... lol
The comparison to Amy Winehouse is apropos. They both dealt with drug addiction, both had amazing voices, and both were gone too soon. For another Female Friday I’ll suggest Billie Holiday’s song, Gloomy Sunday, and Amy Winehouse singing, I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know. The first song I remember hearing from each lady. Both songs almost brought me to tears because both of those one-of-a-kind voices were already gone. 😢
You said it, Amber! You had to have talent back then. "I'll Be Seeing You" was written in 1944. 80 years later, long after she left us, she is still remembered, loved and listened to. An amazing talent!
Also Please don't forget to check out: Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man - Candy Man (Both Great Horns !!) Also - Lady Marmalad Annie Lenox (Eurythmics) - Would I Lie to You - I Need a Man - Thorn in My Side Gwen Stefanie - It's My Life - What You Waiting For Shikira - When ever Where ever - Objection Tango Head Pins - Don't it Make You Feel (like Dancing) - Turn it Loud - Just One More Time Toronto - Your Daddy Don't Know - Start Telling the Truth
This song was released during WWII. It's about all the people at home missing those who were overseas.
And hoping they *will* see them again.
I was about to make the same exact comment. This song was a real tearjerker almost 80 years past. Many Americans were off fighting in Europe and the Pacific between 1941 and 1945, some never came back. Those at home who had men and boys in combat would have to turn the radio off when this song was played.
Was just going to comment the same thing, Its a wonderfully bitter sad song that as you rightfully say caught the hearts of those millions affected by WWII
Billie Holiday had a very hard life. She was addicted to heroin for most of her singing career, and spent time in prison for drug offenses. She died at just 44 years old. As Amber says, the pain of her life is easy to hear in her voice, and there are a lot of parallels to Amy Winehouse.
As others have suggested, please check out Strange Fruit, a very difficult but uniquely powerful song about lynchings in the South.
The thought of a national - worldwide - treasure like Billie Holiday dying in the hospital and under arrest is heartbreaking.
Hardly anyone listens to the bright and optimistic songs from early in her career, which is a shame. To know them makes Strange Fruit even more meaningful.
@frankiebowie6174 I. Absolutely, agree.
Strange Fruit is haunting and a must listen!!
Absolutely, the only male that showed her unconditional love was her dog "MISTER"🐕
#LadyDay🎤🌺 #Legend❤️💙
She had an entire racist culture against her. Please watch the United States vs Billie Holiday movie. They included a lot of true documentation of law enforcement that took advantage of her drug and alcohol vulnerabilities to incarcerate her and prevent her from spreading her “messaging”.
There is a great movie about her , "Lady Sings the Blues", 1972 starring Diana Ross of the Supremes fame as Billie Holiday! You will love it!
That movie is great, a must see!!!
I was coming to say this too! “Lady Sings The Blues” would be good a choice for you two to watch on the movie channel.
Great film, Diana Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
One of my all-time favorite singers. "Lady Sings the Blues" was okay, but took a lot of liberties. "Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill" is much more accurate and a better portrayal of Billie Holiday and her life.
Thank you. Will be watching it soon!
Billie Holiday: God Bless the Child.
Oh yes, a must hear
Yes; a classic she wrote. I'd love it if you'd also react to Blood, Sweat & Tears' version.
My favorite
i would say melancholy.
gorgeous melancholy.
This was a song sung during WWII. That is why it is sad.
It's hard to really quite understand what everyone went through in those years. They all had it in common. We've had it so good since then.
It's sad because of how it's arranged, and Billie Holiday's hauntingly beautiful voice. It'd be like that at any time.
Hands down my favorite female jazz vocalist, Billie’s voice was a mirror to her soul…I sure hope you guys have the pleasure of exploring her music more in years to come. Some of my favorite songs Billie recorded also express her joyous side, beginning with her first recording, ‘What a Little Moonlight Can Do. “ just magical. Thank you
@randyallbee1173 As a 20 yo Arab I couldn't be further from jazz. Yet I've found beauty in Holiday's voice that's unreplicated even in some of my other favourites like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. Please do share more songs for me to get into.
Billie Holiday was truely someone special. She lived a hard life with a sad and pitiful ending leaving us way too soon. Although gone she shall never be forgotten. Holiday touched so many hearts down through the years with her music. Way ahead of her time, for sure. If you guys havn't yet you gotta check out "Strange Fruit". Glad we still have her recordings. Nobody does it like Ms Holiday.
All of Me, Strange Fruit, Them There Eyes, Ain't Nobody's Business, God Bless the Child....songs that best showcase her voice, passion, pain.
I’m A Fool To Want You, The Man I Love, Don’t Explain, Stormy Weather, Gloomy Sunday…..might I add😊
I agree with Ain't Nobody's Business
I love her earlier stuff. Mon Homme is just sublime.
A singer that should be heard more often , a supreme talent , a woman that sang from her heart .
Oh there's pain in Billie Holiday's voice. It's real. Keep listening.
So beautiful. I wish more young people were exposed to her music.
Billie Holiday was one of the greats.
Long story. I'd heard of Billie Holiday many times before I ever actually listened to her. I bought a cassette of her music in a tiny jazz store in Oceanside, Ca. when I was a young Marine. (1983). I put the tape into my Walkman...and hated her voice. I didn't understand why she was so important. I kept listening, knowing that I was missing a BIG piece of the puzzle. Then it occurred to me...Ms Holiday had the most authentic voice I'd ever heard. She was so very different to what I was used to listening to. Her talent was so LARGE, so very perfect that I was stunned. Billie Holiday is one of the few singers that can actually make me tear up from such JOY that I am allowed to listen to her sing. I feel it is an honor, a privilege, a blessing, to hear her voice. Thank you for reacting to this song. Song suggestions: Don't Explain, Gloomy Sunday, Stormy Weather, God Bless the Child, What a Little Moonlight Can Do, and (of course) Strange Fruit. The last being one of the most important songs ever recorded by an American (IMHO). She didn't write that song, nor was she the first to record it, but her version IS the most iconic. Blessings to all who read my whole comment!
Thank you! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post!
@@carlaharrington5120 Thank you!
Awesome. I discovered her around the same time except I was a teenager in high school and NOBODY I went to school with had heard of her and they thought I was the strangest for loving this stuff. But it moved me to tears upon hearing her the first time. I found a cassette tape of her greatest hits at a garage sale.
But I could hear her experiences, pain and triumphs in her voice. Nothing contrived.
Thanks for sharing that
@@Timoeltejano Thank you for sharing your story, too.
My mom, who is 97 yrs old, always sang this to me and still knows all the words. I'm going to visit her in NJ on Tuesday. Loved this...
Actual real music does shock younger people. No gimmicks. No circus. Just class.
If you are not familiar with it, you need to listen to Billie's "Strange Fruit" a deep, poignant, enraging song. If not on the channel, it's a song you and your kids need to know.
"Strange Fruit" was such a brave song to sing..because it called out the truth about what was happening. It is a song that everyone should hear, when they are old enough to really understand what she is talking about. People need to know, period.
Always makes me cry, in some ways we have come a long way thanks to artists calling it out like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Vera Hall, Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield, but equally depressing is we still have such a long way to go for true equality and opportunity for all.
I was about to suggest this! It's not a "pleasant" song but y'all need to hear it at least once.
Yes, everybody does need to hear Lady Day sing "Strange Fruit." Interesting side fact - Abe Meeropol, who wrote "Strange Fruit," and his wife adopted the two very young sons of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg after the Rosenbergs were executed in the electric chair as atomic spies. Relatives were afraid to take the boys during the Red Scare of the 1950s when even knowing someone or being related to someone could turn into an accusation with deadly outcomes. The Meeropols saved the boys from an orphanage.
@sclarkehamlin some great insights there, and it's always heartwarming to hear what good humans can do when we try.
My three favorite Billie Holiday songs - "I Must Have That Man", "This Year's Kisses" and "He Ain't Got Rhythm".
Sometimes I (as a 70 year old woman) forget how brutally hard the WWI and WWII years were, not only for the men and women who had to fight the wars, but for those that they loved that were left behind to raise the children, keep families fed and dealt with the uncertainty of if or when their loved oneS would ever come back. Entire families torn apart. Similar were Bing Crosby's I'll be home for Christmas and White Christmas.
Kathie says…This was a VERY VERY popular song during World War II. The sadness of the soldier…the sadness of his sweetheart…OVERWHELMING, homesick sadness. In Japan, “Tokyo Rose” played this kind of music on her radio program to depress our military men. In Germany “Lord Haw Haw” would play this song and others similar, to deflate the spirits of our military men as well. What a sad time . Billie Holiday sang this song to PERFECTION. Many who listened to it back then went to sleep on tear stained pillows. My dad, a D Day, Battle of the Bulge and The Invasion of North Africa veteran, told me this.
Tokyo Rose was a victim of circumstance; her dialogue was written by Aussie P.O.W.s. Lord Haw Haw and Axis Sally were traitors.
Billie Holliday: " Strange Fruit"
yes
Yes.
YES!!!!!!
Y-e-s🎉!!!
for an artist who specialized in tugging the heart-strings, "Strange Fruit" is shocking and powerful and heart-breaking!!!
I think Billie’s voice is hauntingly beautiful with a real melancholy. Such beauty.
There is not a single Billie Holiday song that is not breathtakingly beautiful ❤ one of these days y’all should watch Lady Sings the Blues. It’s Ms. Diana Ross playing Billie Holiday in a biopic. It doesn’t even have to be for the channel, but for your own enjoyment. This song is also heavily featured in the film The Notebook, which Amber will LOVE!
Don't forget Teddy Wilson, the pianist at the beginning. Also, one of the greats.
"All of Me", "Fine and mellow", "What a Little Moonlight Can Do", "Good Morning Heartache" are just a few more of Billie's to also check out
Vera Lynn
Well meet again
Greatest WW2 British Song 👏❤️👏❤️👏❤️ ✌️🤠🍻🇺🇸
Well the song isn't itself British, Fain and Kahal being American, but yes Vera Lynn famously, and beautifully, covered it. I met Dame Vera once in the 80s after a concert in Canada. Classy and gracious. Still the only world famous person I have met...
You feel melancholy listening to Billie, she was so unique, you need to hear her do "Strange Fruit"
The depth of emotion, the love expressed in WWII songs still stuns me. So many lives rended... I heard today America lost 15,000 pilots in training accidents, just learning how to fly. The life expectancy of bomber pilots was measured in weeks, and yet my dad survived. You have no idea how lucky I am to even be here.
I've never heard anyone describe Billie Holiday's sound as well as you did Amber. You nailed it. Great reaction to a super song
Breaks my heart listening to her...her life was so HARD..you can hear the pain...she was too good for this world.
This song just took me back to my parents. I’m 71 and this literally just brought goosebumps and tears. Great choice🥲🥲❤️❤️❤️❤️
same with me, I am 77 and both my parents are gone now, my dad was a musician who played in the Big Bands back in the '40s and '50s. He died at 102 in 2020 and played gigs until he was 98. He played four instruments, violin, clarinet, sax and flute. I grew up listening to this song, and it always brings me to tears....EVEN when I was a small child in the early '50s! It makes me think of my parents.
Classic soul. Beautiful voice smooth like cognac. May she rest in peace 🙏🏾
She, Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James were in a class by themselves
@@reallymysterious4520 I totally agree. They all had distinctive voices
@@reallymysterious4520 Also Sarah Vaughan.
@@oceans80 Yes
Absolutely love this song. Played in a lot of WW2 era movies.
Such a beautiful, haunting voice.
She has a very recognizable voice. I love her Stormy Weather.
She had a very painful life, and that came through even on happier songs. "Strange Fruit" may be shocking when you get the lyrics, but her control and velvety delivery are unmatched.
In 1984 I was living in Washington DC, and woke up from a very real dream of visiting my grandmother. In the dream we had lunch, talked and laughed. She put THIS song on the record player. Shortly after I awoke I got a call from my mother letting me know my grandmother had passed away overnight.
🕊️🙏🏾
Something similar happened to me. Your grandmother said goodbye. How special ❤
A gift and haunting at the same time!
@@ThePierce5144
Beautifully said.
BEAUTIFUL!!🥰
Lady Sings the Blues, with Diana Ross. The story of Billie Holiday
My mom lived with me in her final years. She had dementia, and this is one of the oldies we would often sing togsther. She remembered every word...now I can't hear this without brea!ing into tears, and I am seeing her!!!
I'd recommend "Strange Fruit" because it's a brilliant song, but be warned, it will break your heart and it is intense. But still a relevant message 85 years after it was written.
I've never heard Billie Holiday sing this before. So forties, but at such a s-l-o-w tempo! Just about everyone has done this one, but usually just a bit faster. Guess who also sings it? Rod Stewart on his first America's Songbook album. He's such a great singer that he can do any genre, and he did about 4 albums of these old classics. Honestly, 1 was enough for me as far as purchasing goes.
Billie was a big influence on Amy Winehouse, you can definitely hear it in her phrasing. Amy used to sing to her father's Billie Holiday records when she was young. Billie has a massive catalog, enought for one every Female Friday for years and years!
One of the best voices ever
She, Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James were in a class by themselves
Diana Ross played her in the movie, Lady Sings the Blues. It’s a great movie. It’s very touching and she delivered an outstanding performance. Diana’s mother thought that she was actually on drugs in the movie because her portrayal of Billie was do real.
Billie, along with many other black artists, suffered a lot of discrimination back in her day and was not allowed to perform in certain clubs and venues. For some reason her voice always reminds me of my grandmother who was from the same era.. A very classic voice for sure!
I love Miss Holiday! Have you heard her sing Strange Fruit? That song will literally - change - your - life. literally.
Kathie says… I LOVE Billie Holiday🥰 what a treat this song is ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
You need to hear her sing "Strange Fruit" And do the research about the song.
Oh yeah, now we're talking. "Lady Sings The Blues" starring Diana Ross. Bet you'd like it.
I’ve always loved listening to Billie Holiday. Watch Lady sings the blues.
Great movie recommendation!!
I could listen to Billie Holiday for hours and I often do. She is absolutely amazing!
You’re right on about the recording equipment. The band played and she sang and it was recorded. No multi track recording.
Before I was born and my mother uaed to hum and sing this while cleaning and cooking, memories, memories, memories, wonderful times. Luv you two and the family. Your faithful follower. 🩵💜💚🫶💯👍🎶🎧👏
Beautiful just beautiful. Her voice is so comforting to me. I also love the sound of the mics from that era. Great choice guys. She’s timeless. Have a great night everyone
She, Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James were in a class by themselves
I'm waiting for the day y'all see and listen to Sarah Vaughn doing Misty. Live in 1964. Once you experience it, you will understand.
The song was composed by Sammy Fain and the lyrics by Irving Kahal. It was first published in 1938. Fain and Kahal worked together on many songs from 1926 to 1942. I'll be seeing you became popular in 1943 during the war. The Billie Holliday version of this song was the final transmission sent by NASA to the Opportunity rover on Mars when its mission ended in February 2019.
Lady Day! "Strange Fruit" is one of the most powerful songs I know of. I get shivers every time I hear it. (Wait til you realize what the strange fruit is!)
Diana Ross played Billie Holiday in, what I thought, was an amazing performance, The Lady Sings the Blues.
Amber, Billie Holiday had a very sad life, and it came out through her art and expression. God Bless the Child and Strange Fruit are two of her most famous songs that you have to hear.
Mesmerizing voice. The warmth and sadness too.The song "Strange fruit" gives me goosebumbs every time I hear it.
I heard a Billie Holiday song the other day and thought, why don’t I listen to her more. Thank you, thank you for whoever suggested this and Amber for picking her.
Yes, "Strange Fruit" is a must listen. And her recording of "Autumn in New York" is great, too.
"I Must Have That Man" Billie Holiday classic!
You can see why she was Sinatra's favorite singer & how she inspired his singing style. Beautiful ❤
Check out her song - Good Morning Heartache.
Absolutely fantastic. Lady Day... what a singer.
Here’s another vote for “Strange Fruit”. Should be listened to. History lesson.
Love Lady Day since I was a teenager in the 70s. (I was a weird kid)
I was the same! 😂
You two are becoming a ICON .
One of the great songs of all time. Written and scored for a Broadway show, it didn't make it to the opening. But many musicians who heard it loved it, and it has been recorded on and off since 1940 by many famous artists. The version by Jo Stafford for the British public and troops is considered a true gem. She recorded it in 1944, the same year as Lady Day.
Bing Crosby/I'll Be Seeing You 1944. This was a very popular song in the 1940's because of WWII.
World War Two songs!! Very sentimental and some heartbreaking!! Husbands, boyfriends coming back from the war! Very tough and trying times! 😥
Sitting with my feet up and a mug of soup warming my hands,and what could make this moment better? Billie Holiday singing while I completely relax, thank you ❤
Also from the 40s I recommend The Andrew Sisters who sang a lot of WWII songs and it’s reflected in the lyrics of their songs
“Shoo Shoo Baby”
“Bei Mir Bistu Shein"
“Near You”
“Down By The Ohio”
“Hold Tight! (Want some seafood, mama)”
Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree
Yaaaaaaaaaaaas! Billie Holiday!!! I LOVE her voice! This is a beautiful song no matter who does it but there is just something very special about her rendition. The best way I can describe her voice is "dreamy." One of my all-time favorite female vocalists of all time along with Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and the wonderful Nancy Wilson! Thanks for reacting to this song and particularly her version. It is a bittersweet song for sure and her voice certainly conveys so much emotion.
She has ALL the love. Billie Holiday - Fine And Mellow (Live CBS Studios 1957) Is a must see, just stunning!!!!!!!
YES!!!!!!
You should also check out Bessie Smith, jazz/blues artist and actress who's recording career went from 1923-1937 (Downhearted Blues, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Baby Won't You Please Come Home). There's also Ma Rainey and her songs Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Moonshine Blues, Deep Moaning Blues, and Prove It On Me Blues. Ethel Waters had a longer career and also acted and some of her songs include Stormy Weather, Sweet Georgia Brown, Am I Blue?, Dinah, Taking a Chance On Love, There'll Be Some Changes Made. These ladies all influenced later generations.
I can’t believe nobody had mentioned the 2021 film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”. The woman who played Billie is Andra Day who is fantastic in her own. Right. It was her first acting gig and she won the Golden Globe for her performance and was nominated for an Oscar. Definitely worth checking out.
What a hauntingly beautiful song. I love it.
This beautiful song was performed by many top singers. A classic standard!
Its amazing how clear and pristine the sound is from an analogue recording from 80 years ago! Thanks to modern digital sound processing we can enjoy these treasures again.
I also love her classic "Strange Fruit" You got to see Diana Ross play her in the Motown sponsored movie "Lady Sings the Blues" back in the 70's. It was a very good movie.
My favorite female voice in music. She had a gift few will ever be blessed with and thankfully it was shared with the world
This takes me back to going to older bars where everyone smoked , the entertainment was fantastic! The younger generation won’t understand the feel, smoking wasn’t good for you , but it’s an experience
My 3rd fav female singer of yesteryear only to be eclipsed by the Queen - Ella Fitzgerald, and Etta James
With Sarah Vaughn in that mix and we can have a great listening time.
@@AlamoDame7 Can't argue with that
Ella was The Queen!
@@marygoodson4920 I love her duets with Louis Armstrong so much !
Totally. Ella’s my all time favorite. Billie’s so unique.
My favorite Billy Holiday song is "I Don't Want to Cry Anymore." A more upbeat recording of hers is "Any Old Time" with Artie Shaw's big band.
On Ella Fitzgerald's 75th birthday, the Village Voice jazz critic wrote that the only people who prefer Billie Holiday to Ella are those who believe misery is a more legitimate emotion than joy. I agree with rhat, while also believing that nobody can touch some of Ms Holiday's performances. I'm especially fond of her recordings on the Verve label, when her voice is totally shot and she's higher than a kite but, like a pitcher who's lost his fastball, she finds a way to get strike outs. There's a great nobility in figuring out how to navigate your decline.
Interesting, never read that Village Voice description. Ella's great, but I've always preferred Billie. So now you have me questioning my mental health... lol
Just another vote for "Strange Fruit". It will break your hearts.
Tears... 💧💧💧
Strange Fruit HAS to be on your list!! I still cry every time i hear it.
Such an iconic song by this beautiful singer - Billie Holiday. ❤❤❤
You need to watch the movie Lady Sings the Blues. It will help you understand the sadness you hear in her voice. Really good movie too.
Couldn't click fast enough. ANY Billie Holiday is perfection! I love this.
Just LOVE Billie Holiday. Thanks for finally coming back to her
The comparison to Amy Winehouse is apropos. They both dealt with drug addiction, both had amazing voices, and both were gone too soon.
For another Female Friday I’ll suggest Billie Holiday’s song, Gloomy Sunday, and Amy Winehouse singing, I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know. The first song I remember hearing from each lady. Both songs almost brought me to tears because both of those one-of-a-kind voices were already gone. 😢
Yesssah, Amy loved LADY DAY🌺🎤
This is one of the most heartbreaking songs ever - it ALWAYS gives me the chilly feels!
This song always makes me cry
I heard this song in the move the note book ,when he. Sang it to her
Beautiful sad and sombre song. She has a beautiful emotional vibe.
You said it, Amber! You had to have talent back then. "I'll Be Seeing You" was written in 1944. 80 years later, long after she left us, she is still remembered, loved and listened to. An amazing talent!
Also Please don't forget to check out:
Christina Aguilera - Ain't No Other Man - Candy Man (Both Great Horns !!) Also - Lady Marmalad
Annie Lenox (Eurythmics) - Would I Lie to You - I Need a Man - Thorn in My Side
Gwen Stefanie - It's My Life - What You Waiting For
Shikira - When ever Where ever - Objection Tango
Head Pins - Don't it Make You Feel (like Dancing) - Turn it Loud - Just One More Time
Toronto - Your Daddy Don't Know - Start Telling the Truth