Billie Holiday

Made her recording debut on "Your Mother's Son-In-Law" (1933) with Benny Goodman.

In 1935 Holiday's career got a big push when she recorded four sides that went on to become hits, including "What a Little Moonlight Can Do" and "Miss Brown to You.

Holiday's 1941 recording of "Gloomy Sunday" became connected with suicides around the world and her version was banned by the BBC from airplay until 2002.

" This landed her a recording contract of her own, and then, until 1942, she recorded a number of master tracks that would ultimately become an important building block of early American jazz music.

In 1947, she was sent to prison on a narcotics charge due to her addiction to heroin. When she was released, she performed at Carnegie Hall.

Billie Holiday was a true artist of her day and rose as a social phenomenon in the 1950s. Her soulful, unique singing voice and her ability to boldly turn any material that she confronted into her own music made her a superstar of her time. Today, Holiday is remembered for her masterpieces, creativity and vivacity, as many of Holiday's songs are as well known today as they were decades ago. Holiday's poignant voice is still considered to be one of the greatest jazz voices of all time. At the age of 18 and after gaining more experience than most adult musicians can claim, Holiday was spotted by John Hammond and cut her first record as part of a studio group led by Benny Goodman, who was then just on the verge of public prominence.

Was the common-law wife of trumpeter Joe Guy (1951-1957), but they always identified themselves to people as husband and wife. She was separated from her last husband, Louis McKay, at the time of her death.

Holiday recorded about 100 new recordings on another label, Verve, from 1952 to 1959. Her voice became more rugged and vulnerable on these tracks than earlier in her career.

In 1959, narcotic addiction was a crime, not an illness. She was arrested on her deathbed.

Posthumously inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "God Bless the Child" (1976), "Strange Fruit" (1978), "Lover Man" (1989) and "Lady In Satin" (2000).

Posthumously inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1979) and the Blues Hall of Fame (1991).

She was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1540 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California on April 7, 1986.

Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (under the category Early Influence) (2000).