"God Bless the Child" | ||||
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Single by Billie Holiday | ||||
B-side | "Solitude" | |||
Released | 1942 | |||
Recorded | May 9, 1941 [1] | |||
Studio | Columbia 7th Ave, New York City [1] | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 2:57 | |||
Label | Okeh | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Billie Holiday singles chronology | ||||
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"God Bless the Child" is a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. in 1939. It was first recorded on May 9, 1941, by Billie Holiday and released by the Okeh Records in 1942.
Holiday's version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1976. [2] It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century , by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Billie Holiday recorded the song three times.
First recording (Session #44, Columbia/Okeh): Columbia Studio A, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City, May 9, 1941, Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra with Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Jimmy Powell and Lester Boone (alto saxophone), Ernie Powell (trumpet), Eddie Heywood (piano), Johan Robins (guitar), Paul Chapman (guitar), Grachan Moncur II (bass), Herbert Cowans (drums), Billie Holiday (vocal). [1]
In her autobiography Lady Sings the Blues [3] Holiday indicated that an argument with her mother over money led to the song. She stated that during the argument she said "God bless the child that's got his own." The anger over the incident led her to use that line as the starting point for a song, which she worked out in conjunction with Herzog. [4]
In his 1990 book Jazz Singing, Will Friedwald [5] describes the song as "sacred and profane," as it references the Bible while indicating that religion seems to have no effect in making people treat each other better. [6]
Billie Holiday was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made a significant contribution to jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly influenced by jazz instrumentalists, inspired a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.
David Clayton-Thomas is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Clayton-Thomas has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and in 2007 his jazz/rock composition "Spinning Wheel" was enshrined in the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame. In 2010, Clayton-Thomas received his star on Canada's Walk of Fame.
Tony Bennett on Holiday is a 1997 studio album by Tony Bennett, recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday.
Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings... Jazz and Blues is a 1993 live album by Diana Ross released on the Motown label.
The Bridge is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, recorded in 1962. It was Rollins' first release following a three-year sabbatical and was his first album for RCA Victor. The saxophonist was joined by the musicians with whom he recorded for the next segment of his career: Jim Hall on guitar, Bob Cranshaw on double bass and Ben Riley on drums.
At Jazz Jamboree Warszawa '91: A Tribute to Miles is a live album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard recorded in October 1991 and released on the Starburst label in 2000. It features performances by Hubbard, Ronnie Mathews, Don Braden, Jeff Chambers and Ralph Penland.
Lady Sings the Blues is an album by American jazz vocalist Billie Holiday released in December 1956. It was Holiday's last album released on Clef Records; the following year, the label would be absorbed by Verve Records. Lady Sings the Blues was taken from sessions taped during 1954 and 1956. It was released simultaneously with her ghostwritten autobiography of the same name.
Never Let Me Go is the eighth album by jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Turrentine with Shirley Scott, Major Holley, Ray Barretto and Al Harewood, with Sam Jones and Clarence Johnston replacing Holley, Barretto and Harewood on two tracks.
Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie with Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater is a 2009 studio album by Dee Dee Bridgewater, recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday. It won the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, Bridgewater's third Grammy win in her career. Bridgewater had previously starred in Lady Day in the late 1980s, a biographical play about Holiday.
The Lady Sings is a compilation album by jazz singer Billie Holiday, released by Decca Records in 1956. The featured songs on the album are from when Holiday was signed with Decca in the mid to late 1940s. By the time this album was released, she was on Norman Granz's jazz label Verve Records.
The discography of Billie Holiday, an American jazz singer, consists of 12 studio albums, three live albums, 24 compilations, six box sets, and 38 singles.
Tribute to the Lady is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released in April 1959. It was recorded in tribute to jazz vocalist Billie Holiday, who died later that year. The backing band is the René Hall Orchestra.
White Gardenia is an album by jazz saxophonist Johnny Griffin with brass and strings which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Riverside label. Intended as a tribute album to jazz singer Billie Holiday, who had died two years earlier, she had sung all of the songs, except for the title track, which is the only original composition by Griffin on the album. The white gardenia was the flower Holiday often wore in her hair. The orchestral arrangements were written by Melba Liston and Norman Simmons.
Got My Own is an album by saxophonist Gene Ammons recorded in 1972 and released on the Prestige label.
For Lady is an album by the American jazz cornetist Webster Young. It contains tracks recorded in 1957 for the Prestige label.
Found Treasures is a budget compilation album by the band Blood, Sweat & Tears released by CBS/Columbia Records/Sony Music in 1990. The songs here were recorded from 1967 to 1976 while the band was signed to Columbia Records. This collection includes album tracks along with several single edits as they were heard on the radio. The single edits included here were not readily available on other albums and compilations at the time of this release.
Very PERSONal is an album by saxophonist Houston Person recorded in 1980 and released on the Muse label early the following year.
Etta Jones Sings Lady Day is the final studio album by vocalist Etta Jones, featuring songs associated with Billie Holiday, which was recorded in 2001 and released on the HighNote label.
Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday is a 2005 album by Nnenna Freelon recorded in tribute to Billie Holiday.
How Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" Became a Black Anthem. Jeremy Helligar