Billie Holiday returns to the spotlight this February in the film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” directed by Lee Daniels and starring Andra Day as the late singer.
“She was hugely influential,” Day told the PBS NewsHour’s Jeffrey Brown about the singer dubbed Lady Day. “I mean, that’s where she’s kind of my namesake.”
With a singular voice that has long captivated audiences, it was the “emotion” that Holiday brought to her music that acted as an inspiration for Day.
“Her songs were rooted in truth, in her experience and how she perceives things and how she felt and what was right at the time. And it was beautiful,” Day added.
Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Follow us:
Facebook: https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newshour
Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
