"Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain."

Singer, songwriter, legend: Billie Holiday was quite possibly the best American Jazz singer of all time. Born in Philadelphia on April 7th in 1915, her real name was Eleanora Fagan. There are some who speculate that Holiday, also known as Lady Day, was really born in Baltimore, however her early years, which were characterized by difficult times, were spent there, before she moved to Harlem and began singing in nightclubs as a young teen.

Billie Holiday, often had a raspy voice with an impressive 4 octave range. She sang with so much passion in her voice and had excellent timing, her vocals coming in just a partial beat behind the music. Her adult life seemed to be just as tumultuous as her childhood. Drinking and drugs surrounded Holiday as her fame grew, and in the late 1940s she developed a problem. She tended to date abusive men and had the stage persona of "unlucky in love." What made Billie Holiday such a great singer was her ability to put emotion behind the music.

It goes without saying that Holiday overcame adversity to become the icon in music that she was. However, even with a decent salary and overwhelming fame, Holiday was followed by trouble. In the golden age of jazz, Holiday was at the top, but she still dealt with racism and sexism that made life difficult to endure. However, she broke barriers for black women and became the first African American vocalist to headline in a white orchestra - with Count Basie in 1937.

Life was not always easy traveling with the band. She was sometimes required to enter and exit the clubs through the kitchen because she was black. She was also sometimes heckled by members of the audience while touring the South. One time she lost her temper and was escorted off stage after a member of the audience had called her a profane slur. Some classified Holiday as unprofessional and hard to work with. She often called the shots and had to have it sound just the way she wanted or it was no deal.

Billie Holiday was not classically trained, but she had an affinity for musical timing and improvisation. She was just a natural.

"And when Billie Holiday sings, she's merciless about it. Her voice has just this immaculate sadness - even in happy songs, there was something that was so broken about it." - Hozier

Holiday sang Strange Fruit that is chilling to listen to. This was a period in history where blacks and whites were still separated, and the lynching of blacks was not only prevalent, but the law was often on the wrong side. Not all of her songs are quite so dark, yet she still managed to evoke an ocean of emotions with her voice. She resisted performing Strange Fruit and had a hard time with this particular song because she said it reminded her of her father's death.

Billie Holiday was once quoted,

"If I'm going to sing like someone else, then I don't need to sing at all."

She was steadfast and sturdy, yet still tender enough to feel the music. According to her, she started working at age six, and dropped out of school at eleven. She did not have a fancy education or even coursework in music and singing, but she just gave it her all, and turned into one of the most amazing singers in the history of recorded music.

Billie Holiday also wrote her own songs. Don't Explain, which exemplifies her ability to impart emotion to her music, was written after she found another woman's lipstick on her husband's collar.

"Try to hear folks chatter

And I know you cheat

Right or wrong, don't matter

When you're with me, sweet

Hush now, don't explain

You're my love and pain

My life's your love

Don't explain"

What made Billie Holiday a legend was that despite crippling racism and sexism and complete adversity, she overcame. She wasn't a stable figure, she had problems with drugs and alcohol, and her love life was in shambles, yet she was a huge success. She dealt with discrimination: she was a black woman in pre-civil rights America where it was illegal at times for her to even perform. Billie Holiday wasn't a saint, but she made it work. Her voice is now iconic, recognizable the world over, and full of soul.

Through space and time I felt connected to Billie Holiday. When I was deeply depressed she was there singing the blues, whether it was just a recording or not. Her struggle gave me hope. Despite many challenges and rocky roads, Holiday kept going. She may have been beaten down, fired, or mistreated and underpaid, but her career continued. Even though her habits hurt her reputation, she continued to sing. Hearing the pain in her voice as she sang of heartbreak and hang ups made me feel a connection to her experience. It was that connection to her audience that made Billie Holiday a great performer.

Billie Holiday died with little money in 1959 at the age of 44. With guards outside her hospital room after suspected drug possession, the years of drinking and smoking had taken their toll on her body. The mark she left on the music industry will not be easily erased. Her voice was unforgettable. With the shining spotlight on her, Billie Holiday gave many incredible performances. She goes down in history as being quite possibly the best jazz singer of all time. And believe me, when you're feeling blue listening to Billie Holiday may be just the very thing you need to hear.