Billie Holiday Historic Marker

Born in Philadelphia, Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was a legendary jazz/blues vocalist and songwriter. Her style and phrasing made a permanent impact on the music world.

 

Holiday was one of the first Black artists to work with a white orchestra. At age 18, she recorded with Benny Goodman, the “King of Swing,” and by 20, she had signed with a record label and was performing and recording with the genre’s greatest musicians. Some of her best-known songs include “Summertime,” “They Can’t Take That Away from Me,” “Strange Fruit,” "Lover Man" and “Lady Sings the Blues.” When she returned to Philadelphia as a famous singer, she often stayed at the Douglass Hotel on Lombard Street, the site of this historic marker.