Most Influential Jazz Singer, Billie Holiday - 693 Words

Billie Holiday The Harlem Renaissance was an African American cultural movement specifically in creative arts such as music and literature. Jazz represented the flavor and zest of African American culture in the 1920s-1940s. Billie Holiday had a great impact on the Harlem Renaissance because she was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. She performed with other great jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Teddy Wilson, Jo Jones, and Henry Allen. Her career as a jazz singer was an incredible and thriving one, however, it was shortened because of her battle of substance abuse. Despite the drug use and the loss of her mother, the only thing she could turn to was her music. Billie Holidays legacy will always live on when the discussion of the Harlem Renaissance is present. Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under her birth name, Eleanora Fagan. Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer, from the 1930s to the 50s. All her life she live d with her mother because she did not know her biological father. She grew up in Baltimore, Maryland until her mother, Sadie Fagan, decided to move to New York in search of a better job. In New York, Holiday found a job at a Harlem nightclub. This job will encourage her to pursue a career in music and go on tour with other great artists. She borrowed her professional stage name from her favorite screen star, Billie Dove. Holidays career started off on a good note by performing at jazzShow MoreRelatedMusic Has An Acute Effect On People1436 Words   |  6 Pageslisteners well being. Jazz has been an extremely popular form of music throughout time. Its interesting melodies and meaningful lyrics give voice to artists to display their emotions through beauteous music. During its heyday in the 1920’s, jazz singing was a landscape of the American sound (Carr 9). Being a jazz singer, Billie Holiday deserves to be put on the list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century . Not only for her being in the general population of influential jazz musicians, butRead MoreElla Fitzgerald Essay examples614 Words   |  3 Pageshorrible memories of that time. Somehow she managed to support herself through the Great Depression, a feat that is most commendable. Ella found her refuge in attending the Apollo theatre, famous for its amateur competitions. At 17, she entered the competition and wooed the crowd with her incredible vocals. In the crowd that night were notable jazz artists of the time including Benny Carter and Bardu Ali, who conducted the Chick Webb orchestra. Ella began workingRead MoreHistory of Jazz Midterm2237 Words   |  9 PagesHistory of Jazz Midterm 1.) Edward Kennedy â€Å"Duke† Ellington was an American jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who has been one of the most influential musicians in jazz. The Duke has released countless albums and songs, but not many know of his triumph as a musical theatre composer. Duke Ellington’s 1941 Jump For Joy was the first theatre show to openly discard the African- American stereotypes which prevailed in the arts at the time. In fact Jump for Joy openly discussed these stereotypesRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance, A Cultural Movement Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pagesoppressive economic conditions in the south and the promise of greater prosperity in the north (Christensen 2008). Due to this, Harlem became known as the Negro Capital of the World and allowed African Americans to express themselves through art, music, and most significantly, poetry. Art had a huge impact during the Harlem Renaissance. Artists were able to express how they felt through painting, drawing, and so much more. Jacob Lawrence had a long lasting impact on art, starting with the Harlem RenaissanceRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance : A Period Of Ethnic Rebirth1664 Words   |  7 Pagespacked their bags and moved north in search of a better life. There, they were given the chance to express themselves through their music and literature. New artists, musicians, and writers emerged from the city. Musicians like Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday performed in clubs, showcasing their talent to white audiences. Artists and photographers like James VanDerZee captured the real lives of black people living in America. Through the art, music, and literature of the Harlem Renaissance, black cultureRead MoreThe Influence Of The Harlem Renaissance1912 Words   |  8 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a blossoming of African American culture, particularly in the creative a rts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Embracing literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, participants sought to separate â€Å"the Negro† apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples’ relationship to their heritage and to each other. The renaissance was not dominated by a particular school of thought but it was characterized by intense debateRead MoreThe Legacy Of Louis Armstrong Essay1401 Words   |  6 PagesLouis Armstrong, one of the most influential figures in jazz music, enjoyed a career that spans across 50 years, and through different eras of jazz. Nicknamed† Satchmo†, â€Å"Pops†, and† Ambassador Satch†, Armstrong could do it all, he sang, occasionally acted, composed music, but was most famous for his cornet and trumpet playing. Although Armstrong is well known for his amazing trumpet play, he also influenced the direction that jazz music during his time was he aded. Over the course of this paper IRead MoreJazz Music : Louis Armstrong1363 Words   |  6 PagesJazz became a genre of music that emerged from the influence of ragtime, blues, and brass bands. Though jazz owes its many developments to various influential figures, Louis Armstrong is the figure that stands out most prominently—forming innovative techniques that would still be followed decades later. He recorded groundbreaking records and was able to demonstrate that solo improvisation was just as fascinating as collective improvisation. Armstrong contributed to jazz in ways that set templatesRead MoreOrigins Of Today s Music1546 Words   |  7 PagesToday s Music While blues and jazz are musically different, they play a similar role in the in the musical genres that is heard today. Today, music is divided into many genres such as hip-hop, easy listening, country, rock and roll or classic rock, etc. Pure blues or jazz is hardly thought of, as those two genres are not heard as often in today’s music. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the difference between blues and jazz music. Blues and jazz are musical genres, or stylesRead MoreElla Fitzgeralds Influences1541 Words   |  7 Pagestook jazz singing to new heights of fame and popularity, influencing the style of jazz and future generations of musicians. Today, her music remains well-known and loved, and her long and prolific career reflects her impeccable skill and style. Her influence is still strong today, with singers such as Adele, Mica Paris, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey (BBC) citing Fitzgerald as a major influence on their style and their love of music. Fitzgerald is often referred to as one of the greatest jazz vocalists