美国名人女爵士歌手及作曲家比莉·霍利德.docx

美国名人女爵士歌手及作曲家比莉霍利德BillieHoliday,1915-1959:TheLadySangtheBluesplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:38repeatByShelleyGollust2007-3-24VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PEOPLEINAMERICA.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Thisweek,wetellaboutBillieHoliday.ShewasoneofthegreatestjazzsingersinAmerica.(MUSIC:"GodBlesstheChild")VOICEONE:ThatwasBillieHolidaysingingoneofherfamoussongs.SheandArthurHerzogwroteit.BillieHoliday'slifewasamixtureofsuccessandtragedy.Hersingingexpressedherexperiencesandherfeelings.VOICETWO:BillieHolidaywasbornEleanoraFaganinnineteenfifteeninBaltimore,Maryland.HerparentswereSadieFaganandClarenceHoliday.Theywereyoungwhentheirdaughterwasborn.TheirmarriagefailedbecauseClarenceHolidaywasnotathomemuch.Hetraveledasamusicianwithsomeoftheearliestjazzbands.SadieFagancleanedpeople'shouses.Butshecouldnotsupportherfamilyonthemoneysheearned.SoshemovedtoNewYorkCitywherethepaywashigher.SheleftherdaughterinBaltimorewithmembersofherfamily.VOICEONE:TheyounggirlEleanoraFaganchangedhernametoBillie,becauseshelikedamoviestar,BillieDove.BillieHolidaylovedtosing.Shesangandlistenedtomusicwhenevershecould.Oneplacenearherhomehadamachinethatplayedrecords.Thebuildingwasabrothelwherewomenwhowereprostituteshadsexwithmenformoney.BilliecleanedfloorsanddidOtherjobsfortheprostitutessoshecouldlistentotherecords.ItwastherethatyoungBilliefirstheardtherecordsoffamousblackAmericanbluesartistsofthenineteentwenties.SheheardBessieSmithsingtheblues.AndsheheardLouisArmstrongplaythehorn.Bothmusicianshadagreatinfluenceonher.VOICETWO:BillieHolidayoncesaid:"Idonotthinkmsinging.IfeellikeIamplayingahorn.WhatcomesoutiswhatIfeel.Ihatestraightsinging.Ihavetochangeatunetomyownwayofdoingit.ThatisallIknow."HereisBillieHolidaysingingapopularsongoftheNineteenthirties,"MoreThanYouKnow."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:BillieHolidayhadatragicchildhood.Whenshewasten,amansexuallyattackedher.Shewasaccusedofcausingthemantoattackherandsenttoaprisonforchildren.Innineteentwenty-seven,BilliejoinedhermotherinHarlemztheareaofNewYorkCitywhereAfrican-Americanslived.Billie'smothermistakenlysenthertoliveinabrothel.Billiebecameaprostituteattheageofthirteen.Oneday,sherefusedthesexualdemandsofaman.Shewasarrestedandspentfourmonthsinprison.VOICETWO:Twoyearslater,Billie'smotherbecamesickandcouldnotwork.Fifteen-year-oldBillietriedtofindajob.Finally,shewasgivenajobsingingataplaceinHarlemwherepeoplewentatnighttodrinkalcoholandlistentomusic.Forthenextseventeenyears,HolidaywasoneofthemostpopularnightclubsingersinNewYork.Shealwaysworealongwhiteeveningdress.Andsheworelargewhiteflowersinherblackhair.Shecalledherself"LadyDay."VOICEONE:Intheearlynineteenthirties,amusicproducer,JohnHammond,heardBillieHolidaysinginanightclub.Hecalledherthebestjazzsingerhehadeverheard.Hebroughtfamouspeopletohearhersing.HammondproducedHoliday'sfirstrecords.Hegotthebestjazzmusicianstoplay.TheyincludedBennyGoodmanonclarinet,TeddyWilsononpiano,RoyEldridgeontrumpetandBenWebsteronsaxophone.TheyrecordedmanyfamoussongswithBillieHoliday."IWishedontheMoon"isoneofthem.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Inthelatenineteenthirties,BillyHolidaysangwithArtieShaw'sbandasittraveledaroundtheUnitedStates.Shewasoneofthefirstblacksingerstoperformwithawhiteband.ButracialseparationlawsinAmericamadetraveldifficultforher.Duringthistime,anewnightclubopenedintheareaofNewYorkcalledGreenwichVillage.Itwasthefirstclubthathadbothblackandwhiteperformers.Anditwelcomedbothblackandwhitepeopletoheartheperformers.ThenightclubwascalledCafeSociety.ItwasherethatBillyHolidayfirstsangasongcalled"StrangeFruit."AschoolteachernamedLewisAllanhadwrittenitforher.ThesongwasaboutinjusticeandoppressionofblackpeopleinthesouthernpartoftheUnitedStates.Ittoldabouthowmobsofwhitemenhadkilledblackmenbyhangingthemfromtrees.Manypeopleobjectedtothesong.Itwasunlikeanyotherpopularsong.Butitwasahugehit.HereisBillieHolidaysinging"StrangeFruit."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Inthenineteenforties,Holidaystartedusingtheillegaldrugheroin.Soonherbodyneededmoreandmoreofthedrug.Itbegantoaffectherhealth.Innineteenforty-seven,BillieHolidaywasarrestedforpossessingillegaldrugs.Shewasfoundguiltyandsentencedtoninemonthsinprison.Whenshewasreleased,NewYorkCityofficialsrefusedtogiveheradocumentthatpermittedhertoworkinanyplacethatservedalcoholicdrinks.ThismeantHolidaynolongercouldsinginnightclubsandjazzclubs.Shecouldsingonlyintheatersandconcerthalls.Tendaysafterherreleasefromjail,sheperformedatNewYork'sfamousCarnegieHall.Peoplefilledtheplacetohearhersing.Thisisoneofthesongsshesangatthatconcert.Itiscalled"ICovertheWaterfront."(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Innineteenfifty-six,BillieHolidaywroteabookaboutherlife.Thebookwascalled"LadySingstheBlues."AfriendattheNewYorkPostnewspaper,WilliamDufty,helpedherwritethebook.Afewmonthslater,shewasarrestedagainforpossessingillegaldrugs.Butinsteadofgoingtoprison,shewaspermittedtoseektreatmenttoendherdependenceondrugs.Thetreatmentwassuccessful.Thatsameyear;sheperformedhersecondconcertatCarnegieHall.HereisoneofthesongsHolidaysangthatnight.Itiscalled"LadySingstheBlues."SheandHerbieNicholswroteit.(MUSIC:"LadySingstheBlues")VOICEONE:BillyHoliday'shealthwasruinedbyusingillegaldrugsandbydrinkingtoomuchalcohol.Herlastperformancewasinnineteenfifty-nine.Shehadtobeledoffthestageaftersingingtwosongs.Shediedthatyear.Shewasonlyforty-four.ButLadyDaylivesonthroughherrecordingsthatcontinuetoinfluencethebestjazzsingers.(THEME)VOICETWO:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollust.ItwasproducedbyLawanDavis.mSteveEmber.VOICEONE:AndmShirleyGriffith.ListenagainnextweekatthistimeforanotherPEOPLEINAMERICAprogramonVOA.