While Elinore Harris, better known as Billie Holiday, is usually associated with jazz music but she was heavily influenced by the classic female blues era singers, Blue Lu Barker in particular. Besides, what was her iconic performance of Strange Fruit, a harrowing song about the lynching of blacks in the Deep South, if it wasn’t blues?

Also known as ‘Lady Day’ and the ‘Queen of Song’ she didn’t have the greatest vocal range but it’s what she did with her voice that made her a legend. Billie’s improvised style echoed the delivery of jazz musicians and her troubled life, documented in the book Lady Sings The Blues, gave her music an emotion depth far beyond any notions of technical ability.

A genius, plain and simple.

Listen: Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (live)