The Savvy Advocate Commune Blog…

@LeeDaniels retold the stories that I had heard about Billie Holiday and Lester Young and how they collaborated and adored each other. The friendship with actress Tallulah Bankhead, daughter of former Alabama Congressman for which Bankhead Hwy. in Atlanta now Hallowell was named. The story itself was just another of the unrelenting hate crimes against successful black people perpetrated by our government and we pay them to do it, that’s the kicker.

This is a must see, Andra Day, a play on Hoilday’, name was truly meant to play this role and has embodied Billie and all of the nuances of her singing style. The direction was really good, casting of some of Black Hollywood’s beloved young, old and up and coming all gave excellent performances. There are so many heart wrenching scenes and this is not anything like the 1972 Berry Gordy version which was more musical drama, this version is a bio -pic of the last few years of her life. Billie Holiday was a strong willed tough living, rough and tumble type of woman that did not allow men to push her around without getting pushed back, I admire her for that and loved the fact that Lady Day would not allow her music to be censored. Here is a good read, The LA Times article “What really happened when the FBI prosecuted Billie Holiday. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2021-02-27/united-states-vs-billie-holiday-strange-fruit-fbi