IF YOU CAN’T BE FREE, BE A MYSTERY

An erudite fan attempts to reconstruct the life of singer Billie Holiday in a more positive light, by deconstructing her previous biographies.

Lady Day, who died more than 30 years ago, remains a romantic, tragic icon to jazz buffs. A Holiday devotee since childhood, Griffin (Beloved Sisters and Loving Friends, 1999) offers an analysis that seeks to revise the singer’s image as victimized drug addict. Against the critics who contend that it was merely natural-born talent that led to Holiday’s success, Griffin argues that she was a disciplined, insightful musician who worked hard at her art. Holiday’s hapless public image has been shaped largely by her drug arrests and her autobiography (Lady Sings the Blues, later made into a film starring Diana Ross). Although Holiday collaborated in creating that myth, Griffin calls her “too complex to be contained by the tragic victim narrative.” Instead, she is depicted here as a worthy foremother for black women, compelling not only for her “musical genius” but also for her public dignity, courage, and determination. Moreover, she did not represent “maid, mammy or mother,” as black women usually did in the 1940s and ’50s. The author revisits familiar as well as more obscure biographies, magazine articles, documentaries, and recordings for evidence to shore up her arguments. She covers Holiday’s European experiences and reviews her appeal to both poets (the book title is taken from a poem by Rita Dove) and marketers of upscale products. A lengthy chapter is also devoted to actress/singer/poet Abbey Lincoln, seen admiringly as one of Holiday’s beneficiaries (as were Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, and such contemporary performers as Erykah Badu and Mary J. Blige). Classic photographs of Holiday—including the memorable Lady with the gardenia portrait—lead each chapter. There are also extensive endnotes, plus a list of recommended reading and listening.

A wide-ranging reassessment of Holiday’s work, best suited for Lady Day admirers.