In this episode we are joined by Molly Johnson, one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz vocalists, and her imaginary dinner guest, Billie Holiday. Born Elinore Harris in Philadelphia in 1915, Billie Holiday – a name she later chose for herself – rose from a very difficult childhood in Baltimore and then New York City to become one of the greatest and most influential jazz and blues singers of all time. Nicknamed “Lady Day,” Holiday was a key and very influential early voice in the civil rights movement, refusing to stop singing the song Strange Fruit, even under immense pressure and at significant risk to herself and her career. Molly Johnson, who grew up in Toronto with parents who were devoted civil rights activists and members of Toronto’s musical and artistic scene, is an alum of Canada’s National Ballet School, and beyond her musical career which has spanned multiple genres, she is a mother, a philanthropist, the founder of the Kensington Jazz Festival, and a recent laureate of Canada’s Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement award as well as France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des arts et des lettres, both awarded this year. You’ll want to stay until the wee hours for this one, and if you do, a friend peanut butter and jelly sandwich might just make its way into your hands.

Show Notes:

Listen to our Dinner with Billie Holiday playlist on Spotify

Email us at fanfarefanmail@gmail.com

Monica Ainley DLV @monicaainleyDLV | Emma Knight @emmalknight

Molly Johnson’s website, Instagram @mollyjohnsonmusic, + Twitter @themollyjohnson

The NPR Through-line episode we mention: The United States Versus Billie Holiday

The BBC documentary: Billie: In Search of Billie Holiday

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