Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed
Lady Day[1] by her loyal friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday was a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing.
Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. Above
all, she was admired for her deeply personal and intimate approach to singing.
--courtesy of wikipedia
