Skip to main content

"Good Morning Heartache" - Billie Holiday


First of all, this is one of the best songs to wake up to in the morning. Even if you're not heartbroken, which I sure hope you're not because that's a crap space to occupy, it still has a sort of quiet magic about it that is a wonderful way to start the day. I would implore you - if you haven't listened to much of Billie Holiday's work, do yourself a favor this weekend and revisit her catalog. She truly shines among the expanse of American music - a Black jazz legend who has been revered by generations for good reason. 


I felt like sharing some Billie Holiday in honor of the film "The United States Vs. Billie Holiday" which arrived on Hulu yesterday. The film seems to be receiving good to mixed reviews (it holds a fairly middle-of-the-road Rotten Tomatoes score by accounts of critics and audiences), but mostly Andra Day's performance as Billie Holiday is garnering attention (and a Golden Globe nom). While the movie may not fully capture the legend that was Billie Holiday, Day reportedly makes a great - and impactful - film debut in it. (Note: I'm watching the movie tonight so I can't say from my experiences.)  I'm not that familiar with Day (who was partially discovered by Stevie Wonder), but she seems to be a pretty solid artist herself, as you can hear below. Also Stevie Wonder helped discover her? Like holy crap, that's incredible: 


Billie Holiday's life was one marred by tragedy, and even if the film doesn't completely hit the mark, it's worth familiarizing yourself with her story. Aside from struggling with substances, this woman was harassed by the U.S. government - specifically narcotics forces (due to "Strange Fruit," her famous and haunting protest song about lynching). She refused to stop performing "Strange Fruit" despite the government's insistence she do so (you can imagine this pissed off the government, a Black woman singing openly about racism, just as the Civil Rights movement was picking up momentum). 

As she was on her death bed, she was arrested. You can read a better, more detailed description of that here, which is the heart of the film's story. One major takeaway, whether or not you watch or like the film, is that Billie Holiday deserves to be honored and celebrated for years to come - the way she was cruelly robbed of during her life. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Give JR a Break

Recently, I've been reading some sites that have criticized James Roday, the lead actor on the USA show PSYCH for an apparent weight gain. But you know what? Who gives a flying fizzle stick if James Roday is slightly larger than he was 4 years ago. Apparently, it wasn't enough to scare away his current girlfriend/ co-star Maggie Lawson. (Who is one hell of a Catch!) And NO they are not engaged. That seems to be nothing more than a rumor, but there is a very high chance of it happening in the near future. Anyway, as long as PSYCH continues to entertain I don't mind about James Roday's waist. He, and Dule Hill, and Corbin Bernson too, can eat all the fried broccoli they want. The last episode of PSYCH wasn't so smashing, but I don't blame it on dietary issues. QATFYG: Are you keeping up with Psych? And who is hotter, James Roday or Maggie Lawson? (Trick Question but idk why) PS: If you have heard any more news on Roday and Lawson becoming Roday-Lawson, send it...

No Time to Fuck: The Goldfrapp Essay

Konnichiwa! This is Irina Cummings and I'm here to discuss one of the most brilliant, innovative, and creative artists in the entire history of mankind: Goldfrapp – or as I like to call them , GODfrapp – the fantastique, highly inspirational, and sometimes criminally overlooked electronic music duo from London consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory, whose godly music has certainly influenced the vast majority of today's synthpop ladies, including Lady Gaga, Little Boots, La Roux, Annie and Florence + the Machine (not electro but still worth your while). They're primarily known for their mind-blowing music (which have spanned pretty much every style of electronic music – and some non-electronic as well), their abstract, sexually ambiguous – at times forthright – lyrics which are often not gender- specific , and their elaborate shows, not to mention the amazing visual aesthetics of their work, conjuring images that masterly complement ...

Spotlight/Shoutout: OG Mudbone (One Year of S/S)

!!!ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!! Can you believe it's been a year already since Spotlight/Shoutout started off on the third Thursday of August? The first ever s/s went to Kyle MacLachlan, and then the spotlight was stolen by OG Mudbone...........the funniest man on earth according to some Youtube videos. For those of you who do not know, OG is an FOC "Freak of Co*k" adult film actor. And yes, I censored the C word, just in case the word cock offends anyone. OG Mudbone takes the 1 year prize because he's enormous (and he shoots and scores), and it doesn't matter if his adult entertainment masterworks are real or fake. His foul mouth is more exciting than many. Seriously, get some google images. height="385"> In other news, Spotlight/Shoutout has had some great ups this year. I hope there are many more to come, and indeed there will be. QATFYG: If anyone has seen his films, can you still drink soymilk? I can't! Happy 1 year!! s/s