Newly Discovered Performances By The Lady Of Blues Debut On DVD From Pioneer EntertainmentìBillie Holidayî

16-Aug-01

Available For The First Time Ever On August 28, DVD Features Performance By ìLady Dayî From The 1950ís That Havenít Been Seen By The Public In 45 YearsInteractive DVD Boasts Live Audio Recordings, Original Personal Letters, Set Lists, Unpublished Lyrics And Much MoreA fascinating look at the life and career of one of jazzís greatest musical legends, ìBillie Holidayî debuts on DVD on August 28 from Pioneer Entertainment. Borrowing her professional name from screen star Billie Dove, Billie Holiday made her singing debut in obscure Harlem nightclubs. In 1933, she recorded her first record with Benny Goodman. She later toured with Count Basie and Artie Shaw before going solo. An outstanding jazz singer, Billie Holidayís life was marked by a series of exaggerated peaks and valleys and as a result, she died an untimely death at the age of 44. Utilizing an archive collection containing a mountain of Holiday material, the DVD features memorabilia including many original personal letters, set lists, unpublished lyrics, birth, death and divorce certificates, signed photographs, canceled checks, newspaper clips, audio cassette interviews and several drafts of an unpublished biography.Priced at $24.98 the interactive ìBillie Holidayî DVD contains six performance clips that have not been seen in 45 years including, ìMy Man,î ìPlease Donít Talk About Me When Iím Gone,î and ìLady Sings The Blues.î The DVD also features seven audio recordings including ìThey Canít Take That Away From Me,î ìSwing, Brother, Swing,î and ìI Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone.î In addition, the DVD includes audio interviews with record producers and musicians from the 1960ís and early 1970ís, a photo gallery containing over 200 photos, discography, timeline, biography and much, much more.SynopsisIn 1915, Billie Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan Gough in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father, Clarence Holiday, was a guitar player in Fletcher Hendersonís band, but Billie did not make her singing debut until she was in her late teens. Benny Goodman dragged the frightened young singer to her first studio session in 1933. She then worked with Teddy Wilson, Buck Clayton and Lester Young, who crowned her with the nickname ìLady Day.î Later, she toured with Count Basie and Artie Shaw before going solo. Between 1933 and 1944, she recorded over 200 ìsides,î but never received royalties for any of them. Despite a lack of technical training, Holidayís unique diction, inimitable phrasing, and acute dramatic intensity made her an outstanding jazz singer and musical legend who is still extremely popular to this day.