This week In ’70s Throwback’ 06/52
How well do you know the music of Carole King’s "You’ve Got a Friend" from *Tapestry* is a heartfelt expression of unwavering support, with an unadorned intimacy that earned her...
Create your Billie Holiday playlist
Choose between a playlist made only of Billie Holiday tracks and a playlist around Billie Holiday, mixing songs by Billie Holiday with matching artists and moods.
My Man
Strange Fruit
The Blues Are Brewin' (w/ Louis Armstrong)
The Blues Are Brewin (w/ Louis Armstrong)
I Love You Porgy
Billie Holiday
1 Search Results Found
Holiday sings lynching, Crystal’s uncle sells records—justice hums in minor key
Linking Billie Holiday to Billy Crystal’s uncle, the story traces the roots of “Strange Fruit,” a chilling protest song about lynching that reshapes 20th-century music. Holiday’s haunting performance transforms a poem into a cultural indictment, sung not with fanfare but subdued rage.
Later, figures like lyricist Michael Stoller and Atlantic Records’ Jerry Wexler circle this legacy, shaping the soundtrack of the civil rights era through quieter, calculated acts of defiance recorded in smoky studios and dim-lit clubs.
Source: Music Industry News – Published on February 7, 2026
This week In Soul Artists 06/52
How well do you know the music of Whitney Houston’s "You Give Good Love" introduced her voice with a restrained elegance, aiming for niche resonance while hinting at her potential;...
This week In Male Balladeers 06/52
How well do you know the music of Lenny Kravitz's "Dancin' Til Dawn" leans on his funk and rock roots, carried by his multi-instrumental talents and Lenny Pickett's sultry saxophone,...
Ella Fitzgerald records with the Duke Ellington Orchestra : ‘The Stockholm Concert, 1966’
Ella Fitzgerald's 'The Stockholm Concert, 1966' is a live album recorded on February 7, 1966 with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and released in 1984 by Pablo.Track Listing : 1.Imagine My...
Lou Rawls records his debut album : ‘Stormy Monday’ a.k.a. ‘I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water’ with the Les McCann trio (1962)
Lou Rawls' 'Stormy Monday' is his debut album also known as 'I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water' recorded on February 5–12, 1962, with the Les McCann trio and released the same...
This week In Jazz Legends 05/52
How well do you know the music of Bill Evans’ moody “Nardis” evolves into an introspective canvas, while Carmen McRae’s haunting take on “Round Midnight” fuses jazz clarity with late-night...
Sonny Rollins begins the recording of the album ‘The Bridge’ (1962)
Sonny Rollins' 'The Bridge' is an album recorded on January 30, February 13 & 14, 1962 and released In 1962 by Bluebird/RCA, three years after his unexpected early retirement in...
This week In Singing Ladies 05/52
How well do you know the music of Texas’s “Say What You Want” oozes sultry sophistication, with Sharleen Spiteri’s emotive vocals effortlessly riding Johnny McElhone’s sleek production. Melody Gardot’s smoky...
We remember Peggy Lee. ‘Feverish’
This day (January 21, 2002), in Los Angeles, California, died Norma Deloris Egstrom a.k.a. Peggy Lee, an American jazz and popular music singer.Tracklist : 1 . Is That All There...
This week In One-Off Collaborations 03/52
How well do you know the music of Roger Waters and Eric Clapton strip down Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" for a poignant Tsunami Aid performance, weaving nostalgia with...
We remember Etta James. ‘Etta Lasts’
This day (January 20, 2012), in Riverside, California, died Jamesetta Hawkins a.k.a. Etta James,an American singer.Tracklist : 1 . Something’S Got A Hold On Me 2 . w/ Chuck Berry...
Anita O’Day begins the recording of ‘Trav’lin’ Light’ an album for Verve (1961)
Anita O'Day's 'Trav'lin' Light' is an album (tribute to her idol Billie Holiday) recorded on January 18, 19, 1961 and released in 1961 By Verve.Track Listing : 1.Trav'Lin' Light (Johnny...
This week In Singing Ladies 03/52
How well do you know the music of Sade’s "Nothing Can Come Between Us" blends minimalism and elegance, its buoyant bassline and syncopated guitars standing out, while Tracy Chapman’s "Give...
Ella Fitzgerald records ‘Fine and Mellow,’ an album for Pablo (1974)
Ella Fitzgerald's 'Fine and Mellow' is a studio album recorded on January 8, 1974 and released in 1979 by Pablo.Track Listing : 1.Fine And Mellow (Billie Holiday) – 06:05 ....
This week In Singing Ladies 01/52
How well do you know the music of Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughan, Céline Dion, Peggy Lee, Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, Björk, Joni Mitchell, Beth Gibbons, Eva Cassidy, Annie Lennox, Chrissie...
Helen Merrill records with Clifford Brown ‘Helen Merrill,’ her eponymous debut album for Emarcy (1955)
'Helen Merrill' is her eponymous debut studio album recorded on December 22-24, 1954, with Clifford Brown and released in 1955 by Emarcy.Track Listing : 1.Don'T Explain (Arthur Herzog Jr., Billie...
Freddie Hubbard begins the recording of ‘Bolivia,’ an album for Music Master (1990)
Freddie Hubbard's 'Bolivia' is an album recorded between December 13, 1990 and January 14, 1991 In 1991 and released by Music Master.Track Listing : 1.Homegrown (Freddie Hubbard) - 08:41 ....
This week In Jazz Legends 50/52
How well do you know the music of Dinah Shore, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Gerry Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Dave Brubeck,...
Columbia publish ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’ eponymous second album featuring ‘Spinning Wheel’ (1968)
'Blood, Sweat & Tears' feat. 'Spinning Wheel' is their eponymous second album released on December 11, 1968 by Columbia. Track Listing : 1.Variations On A Theme By Erik Satie [1St...