Billie Holiday’s influence on jazz and blues will be felt at the Apollo in April.
The legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York is joining up with Absolutely Live Entertainment to celebrate the 100th birthday of blues/jazz singer Billie Holiday. Holiday will be inducted into the Apollo Walk of Fame on April 6, joining such legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, James Brown, and others.
Mikki Shepard, the executive producer for the Apollo Theater, echoed the positive sentiment:
It is an honor to celebrate Billie Holiday and her many contributions to the jazz and blues world, on her centennial birthday … The Walk of Fame is our way of paying tribute to the Apollo Legends who have transformed the American entertainment landscape. Billie Holiday without a doubt is the personification of this. Her voice and presence permeated mainstream culture which lead to her becoming the most influential jazz singer of her day and among the most esteemed vocalist of the century. These initiatives serve as part of the Apollo’s mission to use its legacy to inform and support contemporary artists.
Holiday’s transformative spirit will live on through the concert on April 10, featuring musician and vocalist Cassandra Wilson. For tickets to Cassandra Wilson’s Bille Holiday tribute concert, click here.
Dylan “CineMasai” Green needs to stop humming “God Bless The Child.” Follow Him on Twitter.
