美国名人 爵士歌手及作曲家 比莉·霍利德.docx

美国名人爵士歌手及作曲家比莉霍利德BillieHoliday,1915-1959:The1.adySangtheBluesplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-16:19repeatByShelleyGollust2010-2-27Photo:loc.govBillieHolidaySHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:I'mShirleyGriffith.STEVEEMBER:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOP1.EINAMERICA.EveryweekwetellaboutapersonimportantinthehistoryoftheUnitedStates.Thisweek,wetellaboutBillieHoliday.ShewasoneofthegreatestjazzsingersinAmerica.(MUSIC:"GodBlesstheChild")SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:ThatwasBillieHolidaysingingoneofherfamoussongs.SheandArthurHerzogwroteit.BillieHoliday'slifewasamixtureofsuccessandtragedy.Hersingingexpressedherexperiencesandherfeelings.STEVEEMBER:BillieHolidaywasbornEleanoraFaganinnineteenfifteeninBaltimore,Maryland.HerparentswereSadieFaganandClarenceHoliday.Theywereyoungwhentheirdaughterwasborn.TheirmarriagefailedbecauseClarenceHolidaywasnotathomemuch.Hetraveledasamusicianwithsomeoftheearliestjazzbands.SadieFagancleanedpeople'shouses.Butshecouldnotsupportherfamilyonthemoneysheearned.SoshemovedtoNewYorkCitywherethepaywashigher.SheleftherdaughterinBaltimorewithmembersofherfamily.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:TheyounggirlEleanoraFaganchangedhernametoBillie,becauseshelikedamoviestar,BillieDove.BillieHolidaylovedtosing.Shesangandlistenedtomusicwhenevershecould.Oneplacenearherhomehadamachinethatplayedrecords.Thebuildingwasabrothelwherewomenwhowereprostituteshadsexwithmenformoney.BilliecleanedfloorsanddidOtherjobsfortheprostitutessoshecouldlistentotherecords.ItwastherethatyoungBilliefirstheardtherecordsoffamousblackAmericanbluesartistsofthenineteentwenties.SheheardBessieSmithsingtheblues.Andsheheard1.ouisArmstrongplaythehorn.Bothmusicianshadagreatinfluenceonher.STEVEEMBER:BillieHolidayoncesaid:"Idonotthinkmsinging.IfeellikeIamplayingahorn.WhatcomesoutiswhatIfeel.Ihatestraightsinging.Ihavetochangeatunetomyownwayofdoingit.ThatisallIknow."HereisBillieHolidaysingingapopularsongoftheNineteenthirties,"MoreThanYouKnow."(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:BillieHolidayhadatragicchildhood.Whenshewasten,amansexuallyattackedher.Shewasaccusedofcausingthemantoattackherandsenttoaprisonforchildren.Innineteentwenty-seven,BilliejoinedhermotherinHarlem,theareaofNewYorkCitywhereAfrican-Americanslived.Billie'smothermistakenlysenthertoliveinabrothel.Billiebecameaprostituteattheageofthirteen.Oneday,sherefusedthesexualdemandsofaman.Shewasarrestedandspentfourmonthsinprison.STEVEEMBER:TwoyearslateBillie'smotherbecamesickandcouldnotwork.Fifteen-year-oldBillietriedtofindajob.Finally,shewasgivenajobsingingataplaceinHarlemwherepeoplewentatnighttodrinkalcoholandlistentomusic.Forthenextseventeenyears,HolidaywasoneofthemostpopularnightclubsingersinNewYork.Shealwaysworealongwhiteeveningdress.Andsheworelargewhiteflowersinherblackhair.Shecalledherself"1.adyDay."SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:Intheearlynineteenthirties,amusicproducer,JohnHammond,heardBillieHolidaysinginanightclub.Hecalledherthebestjazzsingerhehadeverheard.Hebroughtfamouspeopletohearhersing.HammondproducedHoliday'sfirstrecords.Hegotthebestjazzmusicianstoplay.TheyincludedBennyGoodmanonclarinet,TeddyWilsononpiano,RoyEldridgeontrumpetandBenWebsteronsaxophone.TheyrecordedmanyfamoussongswithBillieHoliday."IWishedontheMoon"isoneofthem.(MUSIC)STEVEEMBER:Inthelatenineteenthirties,BillyHolidaysangwithArtieShaw'sbandasittraveledaroundtheUnitedStates.Shewasoneofthefirstblacksingerstoperformwithawhiteband.ButracialseparationlawsinAmericamadetraveldifficultforher.Duringthistime,anewnightclubopenedintheareaofNewYorkcalledGreenwichVillage.Itwasthefirstclubthathadbothblackandwhiteperformers.Anditwelcomedbothblackandwhitepeopletoheartheperformers.ThenightclubwascalledCafeSociety.ItwasherethatBillyHolidayfirstsangasongcalled"StrangeFruit."Aschoolteachernamed1.ewisAllanhadwrittenitforher.ThesongwasaboutinjusticeandoppressionofblackpeopleinthesouthernpartoftheUnitedStates.Ittoldabouthowmobsofwhitemenhadkilledblackmenbyhangingthemfromtrees.Manypeopleobjectedtothesong.Itwasunlikeanyotherpopularsong.Butitwasahugehit.HereisBillieHolidaysinging"StrangeFruit."(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:Inthenineteenforties,Holidaystartedusingtheillegaldrugheroin.Soonherbodyneededmoreandmoreofthedrug.Itbegantoaffectherhealth.Innineteenforty-seven,BillieHolidaywasarrestedforpossessingillegaldrugs.Shewasfoundguiltyandsentencedtoninemonthsinprison.Whenshewasreleased,NewYorkCityofficialsrefusedtogiveheradocumentthatpermittedhertoworkinanyplacethatservedalcoholicdrinks.ThismeantHolidaynolongercouldsinginnightclubsandjazzclubs.Shecouldsingonlyintheatersandconcerthalls.Tendaysafterherreleasefromjail,sheperformedatNewYork'sfamousCarnegieHall.Peoplefilledtheplacetohearhersing.Thisisoneofthesongsshesangatthatconcert.Itiscalled"ICovertheWaterfront."(MUSIC)STEVEEMBER:Innineteenfifty-six,BillieHolidaywroteabookaboutherlife.Thebookwascalled"1.adySingstheBlues."AfriendattheNewYorkPostnewspaper,WilliamDuftyzhelpedherwritethebook.Afewmonthslater,shewasarrestedagainforpossessingillegaldrugs.Butinsteadofgoingtoprison,shewaspermittedtoseektreatmenttoendherdependenceondrugs.Thetreatmentwassuccessful.Thatsameyear,sheperformedhersecondconcertatCarnegieHall.HereisoneofthesongsHolidaysangthatnight.Itiscalled"1.adySingstheBlues."SheandHerbieNicholswroteit.(MUSIC)SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:BillyHoliday'shealthwasruinedbyusingillegaldrugsandbydrinkingtoomuchalcohol.Herlastperformancewasinnineteenfifty-nine.Shehadtobeledoffthestageaftersingingtwosongs.Shediedthatyear.Shewasonlyforty-four.But1.adyDaylivesonthroughherrecordingsthatcontinuetoinfluencethebestjazzsingers.(MUSIC)STEVEEMBER:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyShelleyGollust.Itwasproducedby1.awanDavis.mSteveEmber.SHIR1.EYGRIFFITH:AndmShirleyGriffith.1.istenagainnextweekatthistimeforanotherPEOP1.EINAMERICAprogramonVOA.