Friday, June 27 at 11:59PM ESTI spent my high school years obsessing over Billie Holiday, listening to every recording I could get my hands on. Her sound is almost as familiar to me as my own voice, and I never tire of her bold behind-the-beat style. Holiday took risks in her music and in her personal life. She dealt with racism, addiction and a self-destructiveness that left her ragged, yet she still produced a breathtaking body of work. Listen carefully, you'll hear no self pity.
