The Beginning of A Diva's Downfall, Billie Holiday

I know for me when I hear the name Billie Holiday I can remember sitting on the living room floor waiting anxiously for the movie, "Lady Sing The Blues".  This movie gave me great admiration for Diana Ross who portrayed the role of songstress, Billie Holiday to perfection.  I mean this lady aura screamed sophistication.  It's hard to imagine someone so beautiful hurting herself with heroin.  For those of you that follow the story of Lady Day a.k.a. Billie Holiday beyond "Lady Sing The Blues" aren't foreign to the news that Billie Holiday was heavily addicted to the drug, "heroin".  She struggled for years with her addiction that lead to a role of abuse, incarceration, illness, and many other cruel things that come along with drugs.  Many men loved her or I will say loved the fact of being with someone of her status.  Her voice is one that no one can duplicate.  Some even try to compare her vocals and lifestyle to Whitney Houston.  I'm sorry but, they must be smoking whatever Whitney was smoking.  Listen to her voice.  It is phenomenal.  Also, anyone who watched the movie fell in love for the very first time every time they watched it.  Every little girl had the biggest crush on Louis McKay whom was portrayed by the ever so handsome Billy Dee Williams.  "You going let my arm fall off" , in my Billy Dee William's voice.  I recently found out that Louis McKay was the total opposite of how he was portrayed in the movie.  In fact, he allegedly was manipulative, sinister, and a fearful mob enforcer.  But, Billie Holiday seemed to have a strong effect on many men she encountered whether it was platonic, business, love interest or casual conversation.  She even sent Frank "Blue Eyes" Sinatra in crying fit.  This was abnormal to those around him because he allegedly didn't cry for the departure of his close friends like Humphrey Bogart or Joe Kennedy.  Allegedly, while visiting her in Harlem Metropolitan Hospital on her death bed she begged for him to cop her some dope.  Of course, he didn't and later that day her liver failed, sent her into a coma and she passed that evening.  That's a sad way to leave this place we know as life.  However, we will see this cycle reciprocate for many more years to come in other celebrities.  I thank you all so much for visiting my site and I will like to leave you with a treat of one of my favorite tunes from Lady Day...