First , from Lady Day 's story we know about her early years in Baltimore (her home city , her being deserted of her father whereas mother used to leave her alone . Billie had to start working when still in tender age and she was raped , and then sent to some reform school where she had to clean floors . Second , she repeatedly met the wrong men who in fact made her addicted to heroin and drinking . She recalls her much-loved (though terrible...

Like Aretha Franklin and her modern counterparts , her singing was deep and soulful with not much in the way of lavish backing orchestra such as is seen in Katie Melua 's work , but then it is presumed that the emphasis was never on the orchestra but rather on the voice . ``Solitude ' speaks volumes for the world Holiday had known both growing up and in her young adulthood and the estrangement from her father . Her backing music appeared to consist mainly...