A biography for Billie Holidayhasn’t been written yet.
“One day a whole damn song fell into place in my head.”
“In this country, don't forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There's no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it's the worst kind of hell for those who love you.”
“They think they can make fuel from horse manure - now, I don't know if your car will be able to get 30 miles to the gallon, but it's sure gonna put a stop to siphoning.”
“I never had a chance to play with dolls like other kids. I started working when I was six years old.”
“Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain.”
“Singing songs like 'The Man I Love' or 'Porgy' is no more work than sitting down and eating Chinese roast duck, and I love roast duck.”
“You can't copy anybody and end with anything. If you copy, it means you're working without any real feeling.”
“Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married. He was eighteen, she was sixteen and I was three.”