Billie Holiday Quotes

A collection of quotes by Billie Holiday.

Billie Holiday, born Eleanora Fagan Gough on April 7, 1915, was an influential American jazz singer and songwriter. She emerged as one of the most iconic voices in jazz during the 1930s and 1940s, leaving a lasting impact on the genre. Raised in a troubled childhood, Holiday began her singing career in the numerous jazz clubs of Harlem, New York City.

Holiday's unique vocal style, characterized by her soulful phrasing and emotional delivery, set her apart from her contemporaries and earned her the nickname "Lady Day." Her expressive and poignant renditions of jazz standards and ballads garnered widespread acclaim. Some of her most popular and enduring songs include "Strange Fruit," "God Bless the Child," and "Good Morning Heartache."

Despite facing personal struggles and a tumultuous life, Holiday's talent and musical genius prevailed. She collaborated with renowned jazz musicians, such as Lester Young and Teddy Wilson, and worked with legendary record labels like Columbia and Decca. Holiday's musical legacy continues to captivate audiences even after her untimely death on July 17, 1959.

Beyond her musical contributions, Holiday's activism and courageous performances of songs like "Strange Fruit," which tackled racism and inequality, cemented her position as an influential figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Her indelible impact on music and her ability to convey deep emotions through her art have made Billie Holiday an enduring icon in the history of jazz.

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.

A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.

Singing songs like 'The Man I Love' or 'Porgy' is no more wo

Singing songs like 'The Man I Love' or 'Porgy' is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck.

You've got to have something to eat and a little love in you

You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave.

There's no damn business like show business - you have to sm

There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up.

I never hurt nobody but myself and that's nobody's business

I never hurt nobody but myself and that's nobody's business but my own.

Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married

Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married. He was eighteen, she was sixteen and I was three.

Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in

Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain.

I can't stand to sing the same song the same way two nights

I can't stand to sing the same song the same way two nights in succession, let alone two years or ten years. If you can, then it ain't music, it's close-order drill or exercise or yodeling or something, not music.

In this country, don't forget, a habit is no damn private he

In this country, don't forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There's no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it's the worst kind of hell for those who love you.

Recovery (addiction/alcoholism)

You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias

You can be up to your boobies in white satin, with gardenias in your hair and no sugar cane for miles, but you can still be working on a plantation.

If you think dope is for kicks and for thrills, you're out o

If you think dope is for kicks and for thrills, you're out of your mind. There are more kicks to be had in a good case of paralytic polio or by living in an iron lung. If you think you need stuff to play music or sing, you're crazy. It can fix you so you can't play nothing or sing nothing.

I'm always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where

I'm always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I've been.

Success & Failure

Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on.

Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on.

They think they can make fuel from horse manure - now, I don

They think they can make fuel from horse manure - now, I don't know if your car will be able to get 30 miles to the gallon, but it's sure gonna put a stop to siphoning.