A biography for Billie Holidayhasn’t been written yet.
“You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave.”
“I don't think I missed a single picture Billie Dove ever made. I was crazy for her. I tried to do my hair like her, and eventually, I borrowed her name.”
“If I'm going to sing like someone else, then I don't need to sing at all.”
“If I don't have friends, then I ain't got nothing.”
“Love is like a faucet, it turns off and on.”
“וְלִבִּי הוֹלֵם חָזָק עִם הַצְּעָדִּים וְנִרְאֶה לִי שֶׁאֲנִי אֶרְוֶּה דּוֹדִּים כְּשֶׁשְּׁנֵיְנוּ פּה רוֹקְדִים כָּל כָּךְ צְמוּדִים." ~ "Cheek to Cheek”
“אָנוּ נִתְרָאֶה בְּכָל יוֹם קַיִץ צַח נָאֶה, בְּכָל דָּבָר קָלִיל יָפֶה. תָּמִיד אֶזְכֹּר אוֹתְךָ כָּזֶה." ~ "אנו נתראה”
“אֵיךְ שִׁיר אַהֲבָתִי אֵלֶיךָ יַעֲרֹג לָרֹךְ שֶׁבְּעֵינֶיךָ, אַהֲבָתִי תִּזְרוֹם לְתוֹךְ חַיֶּיךָ." ~ "מבוא לנשיקה”
“אֶתְמוֹלִים מְתוּקִים כְּמוֹ הַדְּבַשׁ, כֹּה נִדָּחִים נוֹשָׁנִים." ~ "אתמולים”
“אֵינְךָ הַמַּלְאָךְ שֶׁהִכַּרְתִּי, נִפְרַדְנוּ וּמִזְּמַן הֵבַנְתִּי שֶׁהַכֹּל עוֹבֵר." ~ "אתה אחר”
“לִחְיוֹת בִּשְׁבִילְךָ, חַיִּים קַלִּים כִּי יוֹתֵר קַל לִחְיוֹת כְּשֶׁמְּאֹהֲבִים." ~ "חיים קלים”
“I never hurt nobody but myself and that's nobody's business but my own.”
“There's no damn business like show business - you have to smile to keep from throwing up.”
“No two people on earth are alike, and it's got to be that way in music or it isn't music.”
“Somebody once said we never know what is enough until we know what's more than enough.”
“A kiss that is never tasted, is forever and ever wasted.”
“Sometimes it's worse to win a fight than to lose.”
“People don't understand the kind of fight it takes to record what you want to record the way you want to record it.”
“I'm always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I've been.”
“I hate straight singing. I have to change a tune to my own way of doing it. That's all I know.”