Lady Day: The Many Faces of Billie Holiday

by Robert G. O'Meally

Book Overview

"Billie Holiday deserves a biography in which her musicianship isn't overshadowed by the tragic events of her life. O'Meally has written that book," says Entertainment Weekly about this absorbing and authoritative account of the greatest jazz singer in history. O'Meally emphasizes Holiday's artistry and training rather than her personal miseries, and he uses voluminous archival material to correct common myths about Holiday. Chronicling her...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306809591
• ISBN13: 9780306809590
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.1" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Pure Genius

The reason this book is so powerful is the perfectmelding of photographs and text.The author's rich, empathetic text makes plain BillieHoliday's genius as an artist and, unlike some of the so-called biographies of her life, don't simplify her tothe point of caricature.Mr. O'Meally focuses on what makes Billie Holiday special:her total mastery of her craft and her ability to shareher vision of the world through song.

It's her music that made her special. . .

Tired of all the treatments of Holiday's life in film and print that forget it was her music that made her special, I was delighted to find Professor O'Meally's book. Fascinated with Holiday's life as musician, I had been routinely disappointed whenever I picked up a book or movie in hope of discovering more about her musicianship and less about the tragedies in her life. The book never loses its focus in this respect, making it quite unique.What made this book even more enjoyable for me to read is that almost ten years ago I was fortunate enough to have taken a class taught by Professor O'Meally. His book conveys the same enthusiasm and passion he had for the subject matter and classes he taught and, no doubt, passed on to his students.

Well researched, with attention to her music

Probably one of the best all-round bios of Lady Day, covering the personal and professional. Pays attention to her musical preferences and reasoning behind her unique recording style