Billie Holiday Research Paper

Billie Holiday, occasionally known as Lady Day, was a well known harlem renaissance singer. Billie Holiday's life was an intriguing yet very misfortunate story. Billie Holiday had gone through many obstacles in her lifetime. Even as she rose to fame, problems in her short life never seem to go away. Billie Holiday had to overcome through problems like addiction, prostitution, rape, etc... Throughout her entire life, from her early life to death Billie Holiday had to face and many struggles and never quite overcame them either.
Billie Holiday was born on the 7th of April in the year of 1915 in Philadelphia General Hospital. Her mother, Sadie Fagan was a teenager, she was only 13 years old at the time. When Billie was born, she was named Eleanora …show more content…
She had skipped school regularly and was caught by a truant officer. (Forrest, Birth and Childhood) In the 5th grade she had dropped out of school to support her family. (PBS) At the age of 10 years old, Billie Holiday was raped by a family friend, Wilbert Rich. The man had gone to jail for only 3 months before release. Despite the fact that she was only 11 years old, he was charged with rape of a 14-16 year old. Eleanora was also punished for the rape. The event was inculpe by her behavior. She was returned to the House of the Good Shepherd where she spent the next two months. (Forrest, Birth and Childhood) After she went to the House of Good Shepherd, she wanted to move out of the drama At the age of 11 she decided to go to New York City where her mother was working as a maid. (Smith) She left from Baltimore to New York City without her mother having any knowledge that she had left Maryland. (Forrest, Birth and Childhood) At only the mere age of 12 she became a prostitute to support herself and her mother. (Smith)In 1929, she was arrested with mother and had spent 6 months on Welfare Island for solicitation. (Forrest, Birth and