Once again, the Brits got it straight,,,,

Iwould've hoped more than 21 views, maybe some will watch it later. Even so....

Yeah, they got it right bigtime. Look as far as how Ms. Holiday was percieved -ala "Lady Sings The Blues"- every bio pic Hollywood has done about a singer/musician has been a lie: "Night and Day, the Cole Porter Story, "The Glen Milller Story", "St. Louis BLues" - W.C. Handy, "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn, "Ray"- Ray Charles. I'll give Ms. Lynn some credit at least she came back and told the truth the second time around.

I'm gonna find a way to watch this...

Thanks as always Harle...

I watched it. An excellent documentary which presents a different perspective on the person the public perceives as Billy Holiday. Thanls.

BTW what year was this made?

[Edited 3/3/12 21:41pm]

Billie was a true G!!!

RIP Lady Day...

TD3 said:

Iwould've hoped more than 21 views, maybe some will watch it later. Even so....

Yeah, they got it right bigtime. Look as far as how Ms. Holiday was percieved -ala "Lady Sings The Blues"- every bio pic Hollywood has done about a singer/musician has been a lie: "Night and Day, the Cole Porter Story, "The Glen Milller Story", "St. Louis BLues" - W.C. Handy, "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn, "Ray"- Ray Charles. I'll give Ms. Lynn some credit at least she came back and told the truth the second time around.

The comment she made about Louis Mckay right before she died had me cracking up. She had a real sarcastic streak, and I loved the stories about her confrontations with whoever had the misfortune of messing with her.

Just finished watching. Thanks for posting Harle! I love docus like this!!! Stuff like this would have me in the house watching all day with a cup of hot tea.

Never really was into Billie Holliday-but I want to learn about her besides Lady Sings The Blues. Maybe I'll start with this documentary.

Watching her story and comparing it to the movie, Motown's film basically made it a Diana Ross film than a Billie Holiday film.

I mean yeah I knew that for a minute but I'm convinced of it after seeing this documentary.

Timmy84 said:

Watching her story and comparing it to the movie, Motown's film basically made it a Diana Ross film than a Billie Holiday film.

I mean yeah I knew that for a minute but I'm convinced of it after seeing this documentary.

The film exploited every stigma that was connected to Lady Day's name, and this documentary revoked the notion that:

1. She was a needy victim, and contrary to the film she wore the pants in the relationship - sometimes, literally.

2. That she was "introduced" to drugs by somebody. She and ONLY she was the reason for her own addiction.

3. She didn't have an understanding of her own music(Namely, Strange Fruit, like the myth says). Nobody could evoke the emotional intelligence into their own body of work unless they relate to it, hell, she herself - in the docu - said that she only sang the songs that she felt and made an impact on her.

God bless John Levy and Bobby Tucker, they were the ones who were WITH her, and they sat the record straight, unlike those know-it-all so-called jazz historians who filled their heads with bullshit assumptions and posed them as truths.

Harlepolis said:

Timmy84 said:

Watching her story and comparing it to the movie, Motown's film basically made it a Diana Ross film than a Billie Holiday film.

I mean yeah I knew that for a minute but I'm convinced of it after seeing this documentary.

The film exploited every stigma that was connected to Lady Day's name, and this documentary revoked the notion that:

1. She was a needy victim, and contrary to the film she wore the pants in the relationship - sometimes, literally.

2. That she was "introduced" to drugs by somebody. She and ONLY she was the reason for her own addiction.

3. She didn't have an understanding of her own music(Namely, Strange Fruit, like the myth says). Nobody could evoke the emotional intelligence into their own body of work unless they relate to it, hell, she herself - in the docu - said that she only sang the songs that she felt and made an impact on her.

God bless John Levy and Bobby Tucker, they were the ones who were WITH her, and they sat the record straight, unlike those know-it-all so-called jazz historians who filled their heads with bullshit assumptions and posed them as truths.

Yeah like I said I think it was Diana Ross in a role of Diana Ross in a film subjected to be about Billie "Lady Day" Holiday lol

But yeah Billie was an independent, self-defiant, musical genius and the life of the party.

Harlepolis said:

TD3 said:

Iwould've hoped more than 21 views, maybe some will watch it later. Even so....

Yeah, they got it right bigtime. Look as far as how Ms. Holiday was percieved -ala "Lady Sings The Blues"- every bio pic Hollywood has done about a singer/musician has been a lie: "Night and Day, the Cole Porter Story, "The Glen Milller Story", "St. Louis BLues" - W.C. Handy, "Coal Miner's Daughter" - Loretta Lynn, "Ray"- Ray Charles. I'll give Ms. Lynn some credit at least she came back and told the truth the second time around.

The comment she made about Louis Mckay right before she died had me cracking up. She had a real sarcastic streak, and I loved the stories about her confrontations with whoever had the misfortune of messing with her.

'If that motherfucker believes in God.... I may have to reevaluate my own faith.'

In the 40's Holiday was invited to dinner at the Cocoanut Grove (The Ambassador Hotel, LA) and a waitress came over to the table and said, "we don't serve niggers." They said, Holiday pick up her fork and stabbed the woman in the hand which embedded her hand to the table. If I recall story correctly she was with Artie Shaw; Mr. Shaw and Frank Sinatra had to grease some palms to keep Holiday out of jail.

Holiday's story of drug addiction was really no different than the countless jazz musicians (many who would've had noted careers) who got caught up. Holiday was just one of the many casualties of dope... which many assumed was confined to the music/entertainment world. Little did anyone realize these artist were the yellow canaries in the coal mine of things to come.

As much as she wasn't a victim, I think her life story and choices point to the consequences of what deprivation can do to some people. Why some people are able to fight against and push on and why some sooner or later succumb, I don't know. I'm going to assume this documentary was filmed sometime after Carmen McRae's death, she was with Billie Holiday in her late years and she recalled some memories about Holiday the person.

---------------------------------------------------

[Edited 3/4/12 14:59pm]

I have to admit the only thing I was shocked about from the documentary was that Billie was using cocaine as much as she was doing heroin.

Timmy84 said:

I have to admit the only thing I was shocked about from the documentary was that Billie was using cocaine as much as she was doing heroin.

Holiday took anything she could get her hands on.

TD3 said:

Timmy84 said:

I have to admit the only thing I was shocked about from the documentary was that Billie was using cocaine as much as she was doing heroin.

Holiday took anything she could get her hands on.

Weed, pills, coke, heroin, alcohol, yeah I agree. It was also her decision to get on all of them too. She lived that sex, drugs, rock and roll type of lifestyle before rock became a factor in the industry.

Timmy84 said:

TD3 said:

Holiday took anything she could get her hands on.

Weed, pills, coke, heroin, alcohol, yeah I agree. It was also her decision to get on all of them too. She lived that sex, drugs, rock and roll type of lifestyle before rock became a factor in the industry.

Forgot one, rock gut / bootleg whiskey. Yes, she did.

Its a shame that "sex, drugs, and rock roll" mantra of self-destruction took on a romantic twist. When it fact there's nothing sexy about as we've once again seen someone lose their life.

I don't know.

TD3 said:

Timmy84 said:

Weed, pills, coke, heroin, alcohol, yeah I agree. It was also her decision to get on all of them too. She lived that sex, drugs, rock and roll type of lifestyle before rock became a factor in the industry.

Forgot one, rock gut / bootleg whiskey. Yes, she did.

Its a shame that "sex, drugs, and rock roll" mantra of self-destruction took on a romantic twist. When it fact there's nothing sexy about as we've once again seen someone lose their life.

I don't know.

Yeah I hate how they romanticize it so much smh it leads to early tragedy. But yeah I forgot about the "bootleg whiskey".

TD3 said:

Harlepolis said:

The comment she made about Louis Mckay right before she died had me cracking up. She had a real sarcastic streak, and I loved the stories about her confrontations with whoever had the misfortune of messing with her.

'If that motherfucker believes in God.... I may have to reevaluate my own faith.'

In the 40's Holiday was invited to dinner at the Cocoanut Grove (The Ambassador Hotel, LA) and a waitress came over to the table and said, "we don't serve niggers." They said, Holiday pick up her fork and stabbed the woman in the hand which embedded her hand to the table. If I recall story correctly she was with Artie Shaw; Mr. Shaw and Frank Sinatra had to grease some palms to keep Holiday out of jail.

Holiday's story of drug addiction was really no different than the countless jazz musicians (many who would've had noted careers) who got caught up. Holiday was just one of the many casualties of dope... which many assumed was confined to the music/entertainment world. Little did anyone realize these artist were the yellow canaries in the coal mine of things to come.

As much as she wasn't a victim, I think her life story and choices point to the consequences of what deprivation can do to some people. Why some people are able to fight against and push on and why some sooner or later succumb, I don't know. I'm going to assume this documentary was filmed sometime after Carmen McRae's death, she was with Billie Holiday in her late years and she recalled some memories about Holiday the person.

---------------------------------------------------

[Edited 3/4/12 14:59pm]

Miss McCrae is featured in this film(which was based on the book by the same title). She, Marie Bryant(MGM cheorgrapher and the dancer featured in Lester Young's film Jammin' In The Blues) and Lady were inseprabale sometime in the late 30s/early 40s,,,

Great film, another masterpiece that defied the popular Lady Day image. Carmen's words about Billie jumped out of the screen, you could tell they had such a bond.

In fact, we could thank Lady Day for launching Madame McCrae's musical career via this song,,,,

[Edited 3/4/12 16:06pm]

Definitly going to watch when I have time.. thanks!

TD3 said:

Timmy84 said:

Weed, pills, coke, heroin, alcohol, yeah I agree. It was also her decision to get on all of them too. She lived that sex, drugs, rock and roll type of lifestyle before rock became a factor in the industry.

Forgot one, rock gut / bootleg whiskey. Yes, she did.

Its a shame that "sex, drugs, and rock roll" mantra of self-destruction took on a romantic twist. When it fact there's nothing sexy about as we've once again seen someone lose their life.

I don't know.

I love that she made a point of protecting the drug-free folks who worked with her from the pusher.

There's this story about somebody trying to get her pianist Bobby Tucker into buying some stuff, she snatched a gun outta her purse and chased that man down the street

A phsycatric would have a field day studying Billie Holiday, that woman was a walking contradiction as far as her lifestyle was concerned. I mean, I'm not naive, I recognize the fact that all of us human beings have some contradictions of our own, but hers were so extreme. Eversince her mother died, she has been from an emotional hole to a deeper one.

Depression is the DEVIL, thats for damn sure.

thanks babe! my mission is to find out

everything about Lady Day as I can

since legend has it, she only released

one full length album (Lady In Satin)

as she came from an era where

they released "sides"..

merci!

thanks again, learned so much from this

Lady Sings The Blues coulda been a GREAT MOVIE

had Berry Gordy focused on such scenes

as the "fork in the waitress' hand", "freight elevator incident",

and the "tub full of mustard & water"

and cut out some of the goofy scenes

like when she auditioned at the club to be a dancer

he put too much emphasis on the trivial shit...

I agree with Timmy, the more I watch it

it feels more like Diana playing Diana in drag or something

this documentary was a good one

lot of good quotes from here LOL

and I want to read that book!

LMFAO @ her shouting at Maya Angelou's performance

[Edited 3/19/12 12:24pm]

DirtyChris said:

LMFAO @ her shouting at Maya Angelou's performance

[Edited 3/19/12 12:24pm]

Billie gave Maya alot of grief when she was guesting at her, she talked all about it in her Heart of A Woman book.

Apparently, he never forgave his mother for letting Miss Holiday talk to him like that.

[Edited 3/19/12 19:54pm]

Harlepolis said:

DirtyChris said:

LMFAO @ her shouting at Maya Angelou's performance

[Edited 3/19/12 12:24pm]

Billie gave Maya alot of grief when she was guesting at her, she talked all about it in her Heart of A Woman book.

I shouldn't even laugh at this, but what Billie said to Maya's son Guy in front of HIS own mother stopped me on my tracks. He wanted her to sing somethin, and she went on to sing "Strange Fruit" but before she could finish, he interrupted her singing to ask her "whats a pastoral scene, Miss Holiday?". She took a minute after starring at him and his mother and said "It means when the crackers are killing the niggers. It means when they take a lil' nigger like you and snatch off his nuts and shove 'em down his goddamn throat. Thats what it means".

Apparently, he never forgave his mother for letting Miss Holiday talk to him like that.

[Edited 3/19/12 19:54pm]

wow thanx for posting the docu sis!!!