Billie Holiday (born April 7, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died July 17, 1959, New York City, New York) was an American jazz singer, one of the greatest from the 1930s to the ’50s., Billie Holiday, born April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a superstar of her day. She first rose to prominence in the 1930's with a unique style that reinvented the conventions of modern singing and performance., Considered by many to be the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Billie Holiday lived a tempestuous and difficult life. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke, Billie Holiday (1915–1959) was an American jazz singer, songwriter, actress, and an icon in American culture. Billie Holiday was born in Philadelphia to a teenage couple Sarah Julia "Sadie" Fagan and Clarence Holiday., Billie Holiday, known as Lady Day, was a legendary jazz vocalist battling addiction and personal struggles while influencing music. Learn about her life., Billie Holiday – who was an out bisexual her entire adult life – died in 1959. She was posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1973, ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame in 1997, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame in 2004..