Her tragic life and death are as important a part of Billie Holiday's story as her undeniable talent as a singer. Poverty-stricken from birth, she was introduced to drugs and hard living at a very young age and spent her childhood on the streets carousing with various criminal elements. But, among that turmoil she found her greatest strength her unique and emotion-filled voice and a willingness to succeed. Although her emphatic delivery and natural talent was initially off-putting to the mainstream, her perseverance helped to transform the role of the vocalist in popular music. All singers...