Holiday, Billie. (1915-1959). Important Large Archive. A very important archive of personal papers and papers related to her estate, consisting of almost 300 pages of music, letters, documents, correspondence and notes, some to her, including some from Louis McKay. All from the personal files of her last husband, Louis McKay, whom she married in 1952. McKay was a known "Black Mafia" enforcer and music writer. Size and condition vary. The collection includes:
Letters from her agent advising her about contracts;
Two lists of songs from her recording sessions (in the hand of Billie Holiday);
Manuscript song lyrics, in block letters - possibly in the hand of Billie Holiday (“Venus turn on your charm. Venus wish you had arms…”);
Manuscript Music scores, some stamped or inscribed “Billie Holiday” for songs
“My Man,” “Travelin' Light,” “'Deed I Do” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), “Nice Work” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ernie Wilkins), “Violets” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), and “Don't Worry 'Bout Me” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis). The scores appear to be complete, as such. "Violets" and "Don't Worry ' Bout Me" are both full orch. scores, 9 large sides each. "Tavelin' Light" is Piano/chords with notations like "Lady takes pick-ups" etc. and is 2 pages. "Nice Work" is trombone score, 2 pages. '"Deed I do" is marked "Sweets," not an instrument I'm familiar with (!) and is 1-page. "My Man" is a full orch. score and is 2-pages.
Original photo portrait and one photograph inscribed to her (“To the Sweetest Lady on Earth from The Clerks of the Charles Hotel”);
Folder of misc. financial statements and receipts.;
Two folders of misc. legal documents - including manuscript and mimeographed court depositions - regarding the settlement of her Estate;
1954, 1956, 1957 American Guild of Variety Artists Contracts;
1954 Associated Booking Corp. letter re. Carnegie Hall appearance;
Typescript articles and correspondence regarding McKay's newspaper column “Spins About Town”;
Folder of misc. recording, publication, and broadcast payment records;
Clippings file regarding Billie Holiday (lifetime and post-1959);
1955 Income Tax Return for Louis & Billie Holiday McKay;
The overdue bill for services while in hospital during her last days, May 31-July 17, 1959.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959), nicknamed "Lady Day" was born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia to a 19 year old domestic worker, and Clarence Holiday, a seventeen year old guitarist who would later play in Fletcher Henderson''s orchestra. "Billie," as she was called, had a hard life from the beginning to the end. Even her brief stardom, was marred by confrontations with the police. "From the time of her first arrest in 1947 until her death in 1959, Holiday would be harassed and haunted by law enforcement for possession and use of narcotics . . . in May of 1947 in Philadlephia, in January 1949 in San Francisco, in February 1956 . . . and even as she lay on her deathbed in New York in 1959, a guard was placed at her hospital room." [Farah Jasmine Griffin. African-American National Biography].
Revered as one of the greatest and most individual vocalists in the history of blues and jazz, she died from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 44.
Letters from her agent advising her about contracts;
Two lists of songs from her recording sessions (in the hand of Billie Holiday);
Manuscript song lyrics, in block letters - possibly in the hand of Billie Holiday (“Venus turn on your charm. Venus wish you had arms…”);
Manuscript Music scores, some stamped or inscribed “Billie Holiday” for songs
“My Man,” “Travelin' Light,” “'Deed I Do” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), “Nice Work” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ernie Wilkins), “Violets” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), and “Don't Worry 'Bout Me” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis). The scores appear to be complete, as such. "Violets" and "Don't Worry ' Bout Me" are both full orch. scores, 9 large sides each. "Tavelin' Light" is Piano/chords with notations like "Lady takes pick-ups" etc. and is 2 pages. "Nice Work" is trombone score, 2 pages. '"Deed I do" is marked "Sweets," not an instrument I'm familiar with (!) and is 1-page. "My Man" is a full orch. score and is 2-pages.
Original photo portrait and one photograph inscribed to her (“To the Sweetest Lady on Earth from The Clerks of the Charles Hotel”);
Folder of misc. financial statements and receipts.;
Two folders of misc. legal documents - including manuscript and mimeographed court depositions - regarding the settlement of her Estate;
1954, 1956, 1957 American Guild of Variety Artists Contracts;
1954 Associated Booking Corp. letter re. Carnegie Hall appearance;
Typescript articles and correspondence regarding McKay's newspaper column “Spins About Town”;
Folder of misc. recording, publication, and broadcast payment records;
Clippings file regarding Billie Holiday (lifetime and post-1959);
1955 Income Tax Return for Louis & Billie Holiday McKay;
The overdue bill for services while in hospital during her last days, May 31-July 17, 1959.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959), nicknamed "Lady Day" was born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia to a 19 year old domestic worker, and Clarence Holiday, a seventeen year old guitarist who would later play in Fletcher Henderson''s orchestra. "Billie," as she was called, had a hard life from the beginning to the end. Even her brief stardom, was marred by confrontations with the police. "From the time of her first arrest in 1947 until her death in 1959, Holiday would be harassed and haunted by law enforcement for possession and use of narcotics . . . in May of 1947 in Philadlephia, in January 1949 in San Francisco, in February 1956 . . . and even as she lay on her deathbed in New York in 1959, a guard was placed at her hospital room." [Farah Jasmine Griffin. African-American National Biography].
Revered as one of the greatest and most individual vocalists in the history of blues and jazz, she died from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 44.
Holiday, Billie. (1915-1959). Important Large Archive. A very important archive of personal papers and papers related to her estate, consisting of almost 300 pages of music, letters, documents, correspondence and notes, some to her, including some from Louis McKay. All from the personal files of her last husband, Louis McKay, whom she married in 1952. McKay was a known "Black Mafia" enforcer and music writer. Size and condition vary. The collection includes:
Letters from her agent advising her about contracts;
Two lists of songs from her recording sessions (in the hand of Billie Holiday);
Manuscript song lyrics, in block letters - possibly in the hand of Billie Holiday (“Venus turn on your charm. Venus wish you had arms…”);
Manuscript Music scores, some stamped or inscribed “Billie Holiday” for songs
“My Man,” “Travelin' Light,” “'Deed I Do” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), “Nice Work” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ernie Wilkins), “Violets” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), and “Don't Worry 'Bout Me” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis). The scores appear to be complete, as such. "Violets" and "Don't Worry ' Bout Me" are both full orch. scores, 9 large sides each. "Tavelin' Light" is Piano/chords with notations like "Lady takes pick-ups" etc. and is 2 pages. "Nice Work" is trombone score, 2 pages. '"Deed I do" is marked "Sweets," not an instrument I'm familiar with (!) and is 1-page. "My Man" is a full orch. score and is 2-pages.
Original photo portrait and one photograph inscribed to her (“To the Sweetest Lady on Earth from The Clerks of the Charles Hotel”);
Folder of misc. financial statements and receipts.;
Two folders of misc. legal documents - including manuscript and mimeographed court depositions - regarding the settlement of her Estate;
1954, 1956, 1957 American Guild of Variety Artists Contracts;
1954 Associated Booking Corp. letter re. Carnegie Hall appearance;
Typescript articles and correspondence regarding McKay's newspaper column “Spins About Town”;
Folder of misc. recording, publication, and broadcast payment records;
Clippings file regarding Billie Holiday (lifetime and post-1959);
1955 Income Tax Return for Louis & Billie Holiday McKay;
The overdue bill for services while in hospital during her last days, May 31-July 17, 1959.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959), nicknamed "Lady Day" was born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia to a 19 year old domestic worker, and Clarence Holiday, a seventeen year old guitarist who would later play in Fletcher Henderson''s orchestra. "Billie," as she was called, had a hard life from the beginning to the end. Even her brief stardom, was marred by confrontations with the police. "From the time of her first arrest in 1947 until her death in 1959, Holiday would be harassed and haunted by law enforcement for possession and use of narcotics . . . in May of 1947 in Philadlephia, in January 1949 in San Francisco, in February 1956 . . . and even as she lay on her deathbed in New York in 1959, a guard was placed at her hospital room." [Farah Jasmine Griffin. African-American National Biography].
Revered as one of the greatest and most individual vocalists in the history of blues and jazz, she died from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 44.
Letters from her agent advising her about contracts;
Two lists of songs from her recording sessions (in the hand of Billie Holiday);
Manuscript song lyrics, in block letters - possibly in the hand of Billie Holiday (“Venus turn on your charm. Venus wish you had arms…”);
Manuscript Music scores, some stamped or inscribed “Billie Holiday” for songs
“My Man,” “Travelin' Light,” “'Deed I Do” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), “Nice Work” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ernie Wilkins), “Violets” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis), and “Don't Worry 'Bout Me” (arranged by, possibly in hand of Ray Ellis). The scores appear to be complete, as such. "Violets" and "Don't Worry ' Bout Me" are both full orch. scores, 9 large sides each. "Tavelin' Light" is Piano/chords with notations like "Lady takes pick-ups" etc. and is 2 pages. "Nice Work" is trombone score, 2 pages. '"Deed I do" is marked "Sweets," not an instrument I'm familiar with (!) and is 1-page. "My Man" is a full orch. score and is 2-pages.
Original photo portrait and one photograph inscribed to her (“To the Sweetest Lady on Earth from The Clerks of the Charles Hotel”);
Folder of misc. financial statements and receipts.;
Two folders of misc. legal documents - including manuscript and mimeographed court depositions - regarding the settlement of her Estate;
1954, 1956, 1957 American Guild of Variety Artists Contracts;
1954 Associated Booking Corp. letter re. Carnegie Hall appearance;
Typescript articles and correspondence regarding McKay's newspaper column “Spins About Town”;
Folder of misc. recording, publication, and broadcast payment records;
Clippings file regarding Billie Holiday (lifetime and post-1959);
1955 Income Tax Return for Louis & Billie Holiday McKay;
The overdue bill for services while in hospital during her last days, May 31-July 17, 1959.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959), nicknamed "Lady Day" was born Eleanora Fagan in Philadelphia to a 19 year old domestic worker, and Clarence Holiday, a seventeen year old guitarist who would later play in Fletcher Henderson''s orchestra. "Billie," as she was called, had a hard life from the beginning to the end. Even her brief stardom, was marred by confrontations with the police. "From the time of her first arrest in 1947 until her death in 1959, Holiday would be harassed and haunted by law enforcement for possession and use of narcotics . . . in May of 1947 in Philadlephia, in January 1949 in San Francisco, in February 1956 . . . and even as she lay on her deathbed in New York in 1959, a guard was placed at her hospital room." [Farah Jasmine Griffin. African-American National Biography].
Revered as one of the greatest and most individual vocalists in the history of blues and jazz, she died from cirrhosis of the liver at the age of 44.