title: Lady Day: The Many Faces Of Billie Holiday
author: Robert O'Meally
description: <div>Robert O'Meally, Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and American Studies at Columbia University, is the author of <I>The Craft of Ralph Ellison</I> and the editor of <I>The Jazz Cadence of American Culture</I>. He is co-producer of the 5-CD Smithsonian set <I>The Jazz Singers</I>, nominated for a Grammy award. His articles on American music and literature appear in the <I>New York Times</I>, the<I> Washington Post</I>, and the<I>Atlantic Monthly</I>.</div>
zlib_text: # ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  
  
  Above all I am indebted to Linda Kuehl for the perseverance she showed in
  making contact with so many men and women who had known Billie Holiday and for
  listening carefully to what they had to say.
  
  
  While I was in America I had the pleasure of meeting Billie’s pianist, Bobby
  Tucker, whose vivid memories of Billie were filled with humour and wisdom.
  
  
  I became friends with the distinguished singer and actress, Yolande Bavan, who
  got to know Billie when they met in Paris in the late 1950s. Yolande had many
  insights on Billie’s character and especially her professionalism.
  
  
  Robert O’Meally, Professor of English at Columbia University and author of the
  book _The Many Faces of Lady Day_ and the screenplay for the documentary film
  version, shared his understanding of Billie’s music and the world she lived
  in.
  
  
  Farah Jasmine Griffin, visiting professor at Columbia University and author of
  _If You Can’t Be Free, Be a Mystery_ also gave me many valuable insights into
  Bil