In celebration of African Heritage Month, for Profiles in Excellence we honor: Billie Holiday was a consummate jazz singer whose work continues to inspire and influence even after the passing of fifty years. What made her a legendary musical figure wasn’t the power of her voice, nor its versatility. There were many women who far exceeded her on that score. What made her distinctive was both the honest, vulnerable tone of her sound, as well as the power of her material. Her classic “Strange Fruit” became an anthem against racist lynchings and discrimination.
She played with melody, experimented with sound, and counted among her fans Malcolm X, who saw her live. Born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia, according to historian Charles Blockson, she took the name Holiday from her father, Clarence. Despite her enormous talent, her life was marked by tragedy. She suffered from abuse and from heroin use, but as she might croon (Mumia Abu-Jamal singing) “Ain’t nobody’s business if I do.” For Hard Knock Radio and Prison Radio, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
