Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer is a full-length, modern biography of Lady Day written by Meredith Coleman McGee, published in 2024. The book traces Holiday’s life from her birth in Philadelphia through her Baltimore childhood and into her 30‑year career as one of the most influential voices in American jazz.

🎤 What the book covers

• Her rise in Harlem (1933): Holiday becomes the defining voice of jazz during the Harlem Renaissance.
• “Strange Fruit” (1939): The biography gives deep context to her landmark protest song about lynching, exploring how it made her a superstar and a target of federal surveillance.
• Race, gender, and the music industry: McGee situates Holiday’s life within 20th‑century racial politics, addiction, exploitation, and the realities of the jazz business.
• Personal relationships: The book is described as intimate and unflinching, detailing Holiday’s complicated ties with family, friends, and collaborators.
• Legacy: Even 64+ years after her death, Holiday’s influence remains wide-reaching, and McGee highlights how her artistry shaped American music.

Buy Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer hardcover $29.98

Buy Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer Billie Holiday: Jazz Singer softcover book $19.98