Feature Film About Baltimore Jazz Singer Billie Holiday To Debut On Hulu
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Born April 7, 1915, to two teenage parents, Eleanora Fagan, better known by her stage name, Billie Holiday, spent her childhood in Baltimore.
The famous jazz singer would not have an easy life.
After being sexually assaulted at age 10, she was sent to a reform school before moving to New York City with her mom in 1927.
She would go on to sing hit songs like, "God Bless the Child" and "My Man Don't Love Me." She would pass away at the young age of 44.
Lady Day, as she was called, would return to Baltimore as a touring musician playing at clubs and restaurants along Pennsylvania Avenue, and in 1985, they put up statues in her honor.
On Friday, the feature film "The United States VS. Billie Holiday", will debut on Hulu and will focus on the government's persecution of the jazz singer after she wrote an anti-lynching song "Strange Fruit."
The film was brought to life by Academy award-nominated Director Lee Daniels.
"They sent her to jail, they planted drugs on her, they gave her boyfriends, her manager's drugs to plant on her, they were after her," Daniels said.
He hopes the film changes the way people see Holiday.
"Yeah, they see her as a badass, they see her as a hero, a civil rights hero," Daniels added.
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