ince her death in 1959, Billie Holiday’s life has inspired artists, filmmakers, and biographers, whose efforts have contributed as much to her legend as her unique voice and exquisite musicianship have contributed to her artistic legacy. Paul Alexander’s is the latest offering to address our collective desire to know and understand an artist whose influence continues to shape contemporary vocalists as well as the mythologies we create about them. Using archival material, new interviews, and his own gifts for narrative, Alexander builds on previous efforts to reveal new dimensions of Holiday’s commitment to her craft, as well as her devotion
