I’m A Hit Record!

New Standards | Apr 7, 2015

My the mid 1930s Billie Holiday was a regular name in the speakeasy circuit of Harlem and around the country. She'd gained wide recognition with the song "Riffin' The Scotch", and was working as a touring musician. She was on the road with Count Basie and then Artie Shaw, making her the first black woman to tour with a white orchestra. 

In this installment of our month long Lady Day series, Jonathan Schwartz investigates the mid-career music and commercial success of the legendary singer, Billie Holiday. 

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