LADY SINGS THE BLUES was the heavily fictionalized film biography of legendary cabaret chanteuse Billie Holliday, who rose to great stardom as one of the great blues impressionists of our time but, sadly, was never able to complete escape the multiple demons which haunted her for her entire life. Diana Ross made an impressive film debut in the role of Lady Day, which garnered her an Oscar nomination. Though her opening scenes playing Billie as a teenager are silly and unconvincing, Ross delivers a riveting performance for the most part, guided by her Svengali Berry Gordy, who makes a brief cameo appearance as a drug dealer. Billy Dee Williams officially became a star with his charismatic turn as Louis McKay, Billie's true love and Richard Pryor also received an Oscar nomination for his funny and caustic performance as "Piano Man", Billie's best friend and piano player, who was chasing demons of his own. The film is lavishly mounted with Ross draped in some stunning costumes that definitely merited Oscar attention. Ross gets plenty of opportunities to sing and though she really doesn't sound anything like Holliday did, she does capture the spirit of this tragic songbird. It's not a great guide as far as providing facts about Holliday's life. It seems to gloss over Holliday's alleged early days as a prostitute and her drug abuse, but it's a grand example of storytelling on screen with a riveting leading character who will capture your heart.