Billie Holiday, real name Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), was an American jazz and pop singer whose career spanned nearly thirty years. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills, which made up for her limited range and lack of formal music education.Photograph: William P. Gottlieb, restoration: Kaldari