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Lady Sings the Blues

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 1,286 ratings · 92 reviews

This work presents the Billie Holiday story - her rise to the top from the slums and the streets, to the eventual slide down.

Paperback, 208 pages

Published March 6th 1984 by Penguin Books (first published 1956)

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Jan 28, 2009 Lawrence rated it 3 of 5 stars

It helps to have some historical perspective on this book as you read it. Yes, it's a sad tale of the rise and struggles of an amazing jazz legend and you can't help but hear the voice of Billy as the story unfolds (I could not resist playing her music on my IPod in the background). But it's also important to keep in mind that the book is not always precisely truthful, perhaps for lots of personal, historical, and publishing reasons. I think it's best read for the general history, impressions/tr...more

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May 08, 2008 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I might have over rated it by a star... I'm currently enamoured with memoirs. Lady's memoir is particularly honest and gritty at the same time. It provides a vivid picture of racism and poverty that most black people went through in the middle twentieth century. My father tells me he remembers seeing separate bathrooms and water fountains when his parents went to Memphis for a vacation...
I digress, Billy Holiday has a lust for life and feels emotions deeply. Trying to help her father and moth...more

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Feb 21, 2008 Granny rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: jazz buffs and those interested in African-American history

Recommended to Granny by: my dear late mom

Shelves: non-fiction

My mom was a jazz band singer in the same era as Billie Holiday. All the young singers were in awe of Billie, according to Mom, but her addiction was well-known. Her nickname in the music trade was "Miss Needles." The music industry in the late 1930's and early 1940's was one of the few places where whites and African-Americans could mingle freely -- Mom was white and worked with many persons of color. Unfortunately, once off stage and off the work sites, in the southern cities where they worked...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Amorfna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Lejdi peva bluz je knjiga koju bih preporučila onima
1. koji vole i cene Bili Holidej te žele da steknu bolji uvid u njen tragični život i celu bluz / džez scenu tog perioda
2. koji su strastveni ljubitelje biografija in general ( kao što sam ja)

Bilo je teško oceniti ovu knjigu....u pitanju je ipak nečiji život a smatram da je nerealno isti karakterisati sa dosadno/uzbudljivo, dobro/ loše, 1/2//5 zvezdica..

Pa evo negativnih strana:
Ono što je presudilo u korist prosečne ocene jeste činjenica da,...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Aleah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, memoir

Eleanora Fagan was born April 7, 1915. Her mother was only 13 and her father was pretty much absent. Eleanora was raised by family while her mother worked; her childhood was painful and short. At 13 Eleanora was working as a prostitute, by 14 she was singing her unique style of jazz as Billie Holiday in Brooklyn clubs. Racism and drug addiction dogged her for most of her career but her unyielding spirit could never by broken.

In "Lady Sings the Blues" Billie Holiday tells us her story in her own...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Willem van den Oever rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, non-fiction, biography

Without a doubt one of the most recognizable voices in the jazz-scene (and possibly the most powerful), Billie Holiday’s autobiography is just as wonderful and emotional as her vocal work.
“Lady Sings the Blues” is as diverse, bewildering and touching as her music. There are great moments of triumph and seemingly endless times of hardship, tragedy and sadness. From her childhood, during which she hardly knew about her father and she’d spend most of her time running errands for a local whorehouse,...more Without a doubt one of the most recognizable voices in the jazz-scene (and possibly the most powerful), Billie Holiday’s autobiography is just as wonderful and emotional as her vocal work.
“Lady Sings the Blues” is as diverse, bewildering and touching as her music. There are great moments of triumph and seemingly endless times of hardship, tragedy and sadness. From her childhood, during which she hardly knew about her father and she’d spend most of her time running errands for a local whorehouse, to her teenage years when she was confronted with sexual harassment and her first imprisonments. The discovery of her vocal strength, teaming up with other rising stars in the jazz world of the 1920’s and the first gigs in crummy bars and nightclubs. The racism, the lovers and, perhaps the greatest influence on her life and work, the addiction to liquor and drugs.
But no matter how strange or bewildering her experiences may be, the reader is always drawn right into the narrative; being right beside her as she goes through all the ups and downs. Ghostwriter William Dufty turned Holiday’s stories into a novel, and did an excellent job with it, retaining Billie’s unique voice, her witty remarks and opinions on the events of her life. Her words spring from the pages, full of slang and street-smart ideas about herself and the people around her. There’s real power in her words, a definite confidence in her decisions and not one bit of remorse for the things she has done, no matter how bad those choices turned out to be. This was a powerful woman who tried to learn from her mistakes, but was never ashamed of them. “Lady Sings the Blues” reads like the Lady is in the room with the reader, sipping coffee with something strong in it, while telling her life’s story to whoever wants to hear it.

Two things spring to mind which regretfully do the book some harm.
Firstly, the fact that not all of the events described in this book are a hundred percent true. For whatever reason, Holiday and/or Dufty decided to alter some information that most other biographies out there haven’t censored. To get a better, more complete view of the singer’s life, it’s recommendable to read more about her than just the books she has written herself.
Second is the way certain parts of Holiday’s life and career are surprisingly briefly discussed. There are gaps in her career, how she got from point A to point B in becoming one of the greatest artists in the jazz genre, and it’s most curious how little she talks about the craft of singing. It might all have come natural to her, but for people outside of the business some questions remain. Again, more reading on this subject is advised.

There’s no denying that Billie Holiday went through some tough times, and she had every reason to sing the blues. But reading about the tragedies that befell her, yet simultaneously hearing the sober, nonchalant and at times surprisingly funny and heartwarming tone with which topics are discussed, adds up to quite a reading experience.
Even if everything described in this book would not be entirely true, it makes for a great story nonetheless.(less)

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Apr 27, 2011 Deacon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Normally, I would mark this book as a 3, possibly 4, star work, but there are two severe complications in that regard. One, Holiday herself claimed to have never read the book, or have much to do with it; it stands to reason that her attitude is direclty related to fact two, which is that many pieces of this particular story have been contradicted and/or proven false by historians and contemporaries.

As a fan of Holiday and her art, this is a maddening situation, as her truth was stranger, and s...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I couldn't put this book down and read it really quickly. Almost too quickly. And...I made sure to listen to all her music while reading. The first chapter, alone, will rock your socks off. The story of this iconic woman is the story of music and race in America; and this America she writes of is raw and true and should be ashamed of itself. Her voice was untrained and magical. Often, she was even unsure of what it would do. She was a part of the birth of jazz, along with Count Basie, Lester You...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Dorothea rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's very difficult to know what to say about this memoir, since it wasn't exactly written by Billie Holiday, but by her friend William Dufty, who based it on interviews and other conversations with her. This review at the San Francisco Chronicle says that the book is full of "factual inaccuracies and exaggerations" but "captures [Holiday's] tart voice and unflinching eye," and that Dufty's "aim was to let Holiday tell her story her way." It sounds like a lot of the events didn't happen as descr...more It's very difficult to know what to say about this memoir, since it wasn't exactly written by Billie Holiday, but by her friend William Dufty, who based it on interviews and other conversations with her. This review at the San Francisco Chronicle says that the book is full of "factual inaccuracies and exaggerations" but "captures [Holiday's] tart voice and unflinching eye," and that Dufty's "aim was to let Holiday tell her story her way." It sounds like a lot of the events didn't happen as described, but perhaps most of the opinions the narrator expresses are really Holiday's -- even the ones I wish weren't. I'd have to read a thorough biography of her to have a better idea, I suppose.

The main opinion I hope wasn't really Holiday's is the narrator's attitude about lesbians. I suppose on the plus side, nobody reading this book could deny that there were lesbians in the 1920s through 50s, as well as male and female cross-dressers. But the narrator seems very keen to dissociate herself from queerness. Apart from owning up to being friends with a male transvestite, the narrator (I keep saying "narrator" instead of Holiday because I don't really know for sure!) expresses a great deal of contempt, pity, and disgust for the queer people she encounters. It was really unpleasant to read, especially when I thought that "Miss Brown To You" was a sweet song about lesbians! (Lady Sings the Blues does not say anything about those lyrics.)

I really do like what the narrator has to say about trauma and stress. A lot of very bad things definitely happened to Holiday, starting in her early childhood. Without having the psychological language people use today (like PTSD and triggers), the narrator says very simply and convincingly that a person who's had terrible things happen to her doesn't just get over them completely. They stay with her and can overwhelm her again if she's reminded of them. She says they informed her singing, especially particular songs which she has a very strong reaction to.

The narrator describes how she went on tour with a band whose musicians were all white men. All the "cats" (as she calls them) liked her and always wanted to insist on her being treated the same as they, but this meant a constant battle at segregated restaurants, hotels, and concert halls all over the country. She loved them for standing up for her, but she says that sometimes she pleaded with them to just let her go in the back door so that she didn't have to go through the civil rights movement five times a day. This was so stressful for her that she became physically ill.

Another opinion I think is interesting is what she says about drugs, the law, and treatment. Of course it's really hard to tell what her real opinion was about this subject, since Holiday was being monitored by the law and was still struggling with her addiction when this book came out. But one thing she says is that when she was on tour in Europe, she was very impressed by the different legal attitude towards drugs there (particularly in Great Britain). She said that there, unlike in the United States, she could see a doctor openly about her addiction without fearing arrest, and so it would be so much easier to break the addiction without the stress and stigma of criminality.

I'll end with an anecdote that made me laugh. This is the narrator's (I hope verbatim from Billie Holiday) opinion of opinion of the luxury car bought by Artie Shaw, leader of a band she went on tour with:

From then on Artie used to lead the caravan driving this big old Rolls. And he always wanted me to ride up with him and Max and Tony and sometimes Benny, our road manager. I had mixed feelings about this. A Rolls is built for pleasure. It's great to be able to call your chauffeur and say, "James, take me through Central Park and then back home." It's fine to pull up in front of El Morocco or somewhere and have it wait to take your black ass home. But it's nowhere for highballing a hundred and fifty miles to make a gig. You take it up over thirty-five miles an hour and if you're in the back seat it's apt to turn you into a milkshake.

You got to sit up straight in it like a queen cruising past her subjects. It's no damn good for lovers either. You can't bend in it no kind of way. It's only good for one thing -- that's to be dicty.

(less)

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Nov 21, 2008 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Even though Billie uses a ghost writer, it's written as if she's having a conversation with you. I love her exaggerated stories and her vibrancy really shines through.
On the other hand, I don't like how she skips around because sometimes she forgets to go back to her original story line. And while I'm all about exaggeration, I'm not into lies with no basis in truth. For example, she says she wasn't using drugs during the times that she was arrested. Why would she have drugs on her if she wasn't...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Laura Sims rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, in-2013

Lady Sings the Blues is the extremely honest autobiography of Billie Holiday, jazz and swing legend. It takes the reader from Holiday's rough childhood, to her first show in Harlem, to her sold out performances, and to her addictions that would be the end of her life.

There are so many elements of this autobiography that I loved. Granted, all autobiographies should be taken with a grain of salt. Mostly, because the person who writes them may want to change some things. Though, Holiday doesn't see...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Matt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: real-world-non-fiction, music-related

I had some problems with this book.

The lingo of the 1950s was not always easy to understand for me.

On top of that I, as a male European born in the 60s, obviously have a very different cultural background than a female citizen of the United States, who was born in 1915. The text is not able to bridge this gap completely, which I find unfortunate.

As the authors mentioned Billie Holiday with William Dufty. Which parts were written by whom, I can not identify.

The foreword was written by David Ritz....more

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Dec 27, 2011 Alisa Tazioli rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: women-rule, biography

This is a somewhat difficult book to evaluate. The story of her life is intense and ultimately tragic, yet the kernel of triumph is that she was able to emerge despite the most challenging of circumstances that would crush anyone. The book is written in Billie's own voice; great because you get the real feel of this woman, but I think her co-author could have done so much more to flesh out some of the details, which is where the book fell flat. She endured some unimaginable circumstances - raped...more

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Feb 28, 2011 Ladusvala rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Más allá de la habilidad literaria de Billie Holiday y de William Dufty -que tampoco es desdeñable-, quizá sorprende descubrir en "Lady Day" a alguien tan lúcido.

Y es que en realidad, más que las memorias de una cantante de blues, más que un libro para advertir sobre los peligros de la droga -como ella misma sugiere al final- Lady Sings the Blues es una pequeña crónica de su época. De cómo puede alguien ser admirado y reconocido, y al mismo tiempo, perseguido a causa de su clase y condición.

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Oct 24, 2010 Deodand rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: europe, non-fiction, usa

I came to appreciate Billie's vocal styling very slowly. In my early 20's I frequented a (pre-Starbucks) café where the proprietor adored her and put her discs in the mix. I'd be chatting or playing cards when, here comes that lady with the weird voice again. "Who is that??" I'd ask my friends, who were all studying music at the time.

"Billie Holiday" they'd intone together.

Then maybe half an hour later she'd come up again, I'd ask again, they'd intone the answer again. These friends of mine, who...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Tori rated it 1 of 5 stars

So disappointing. I wish I'd never picked up this book then I could have continued to live with my quite incorrect preconceived notions about Billie Holiday. I read some of the reviews about the book and one thing that came up over and over is that some of the content is aggrandized because Billie wanted to further her career. All I can say is that I hope so because one person shouldn't have had to go through all that. I didn't finish the book because it was so depressing.

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Sep 20, 2012 Eliza Player rated it 5 of 5 stars

Touching autobiography. As a recovered heroin addict, I am amazed at the stories of other addicts. Billie faced things in her life that I cannot even imagine, as she had to use the back door for performances in the South, as the police cramped down on opiates, given permission through the Harrison Tax Act, and they clamped down on Billie, only after she released Strange Fruit. Damn, Billie was an amazing woman. So full of sadness, pain, joy, and love...

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Nov 14, 2012 Autumn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Because I have read this book, I understand Billie. Completely. I understand why all of the brilliant musicians that followed in her footsteps and mentioned her as a muse (Frank Sinatra and Janis Joplin to name a few) were who they are. Billie's tragedy and triumph are executed so eloquently in this book, but stay true to Lady Day and her lingo/upbringing. There's nothing terribly fancy in this book; when it comes down to it, it's all Billie. It's as if she's having a conversation with you herse...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Marissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was extremely disjointed and I didn't get a very complete picture of Billie Holiday. However, it was told in her own words and there were some interesting stories in here. I had no idea that she spent such lengthy periods of time in jail. Her life was certainly not easy, but I can tell from reading this that she was a serious fire cracker. I'd be interested in reading a more complete biography, but I enjoyed reading this to get her perspective.

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Jan 01, 2012 Darian G. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Billie Holiday's story is one of the saddest of 20th contrary artist. Her book, written shortly before her death from years of drug use, is honest. The bravery shown in that she shared the disturbing aspects of abuse in her childhood back when this was written in the 1950's when such matters were not spoken of, shows a depth of character that was hidden by her addictions. In the end she sang the blues as well as she did because she sang from the wellspring of her experience.

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Nov 07, 2012 Robyn Obermeyer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book a long time ago, I think it started my intrest in autobiographies, it was a paperback edition found at a yard sale for 25 cents.Amazing, how hard life was back then,not being able to preform in clubs, the raw talent she had and the way she actually was able to get it all down in paperback in the day. Very sad

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Aug 27, 2012 Debbie Orta rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved reading about Billie's daily life, musical camaraderie, and heartache in what appears to be her own voice. I know she had a ghost writer on this, but the language sounds like she's talking to me, and it helps me see the prejudice and injustice through her eyes. A wonderful, quick, and insightful read.

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Mar 07, 2010 T. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-memoir, nonfiction, music

Love, loneliness and the truth -- I can feel the weight of the world in Billie Holiday's voice every time she sings. And here are the blues, the grits of her life: "I was as strong, if not stronger, than any of them. And when it's that way, you can't blame anybody but yourself."

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Dec 31, 2011 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-reading

This is one of my favourite books, but then Billie Holiday is my favourite singer. It was co-written, of course, and a lot of it has proved to be inaccurate. Nonetheless, you can really hear Billie's voice - courageous and funny despite the many hardships she encountered.

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Jul 30, 2011 Jean-denis Crouhy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Billie nous fait revivre les tournées dans le sud ségrégationniste avec Count Basie et le New York des années 50. Cette autobiographie touchante fait parti des livres sur le jazz qu'il faut avoir lu au même titre que celles de Mingus ou Miles...

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Jun 12, 2009 Jocelyn rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved this book, of course I'm a horrible critique. If you get the 50th anniversary addition it comes with a CD in the back. Not just for jazz lovers, this book reaches into Billie's soul and helps bring to into the harsh reality of show business.

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Feb 23, 2012 Stephanie Whittaker rated it 4 of 5 stars

besides being a huge billie holiday fan and enjoying this book very much though i read it years ago what i remember most about this book is sharing with my mother on a weekend visit she too was an avid reader and would probably have loved this site.

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Jul 11, 2009 Corinne Lundstrum rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this in college. It's interesting but I remember reading that a lot of the stuff billie wrote about never happened or was exagerrated. I read it years ago and just caught the movie with Dianna Ross on TV which was awful, simply awful.

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Jun 12, 2012 Rushay Booysen rated it 3 of 5 stars

The rise and ultimate fall of Ms Billie Holiday.The book describes the rise of Billie her troubled childhood and ultimate adulthood absorbed in drugs.The had a rather confusing ending but overall for any fan of Billie this would be a very informative read

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Aug 31, 2011 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Love her music and found this book at a small bookstore in Guerneville :) Her life was so tough but she doesn't spare any truths.

Hard to start but once I was in paradise on the beach with a beer - enjoyed learning more "the Lady".

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Nicknamed Lady Day by her sometime collaborator Lester Young, Holiday was a seminal influence on jazz, and pop singers' critic John Bush wrote that she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever." Her vocal style — strongly inspired by instrumentalists — pioneered a new way of manipulating wording and tempo, and also popularized a more...more

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Quotes from Lady Sings the Blues

“Everyones got to be different. You can't copy anybody and end up with anything. If you copy, it means you're working without any real feeling. And without feeling, whatever you do amounts to nothing.” — 7 people liked it

“In this country, don’t forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There’s no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it’s the worst kind of hell for those who love you.” — 4 people liked it

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