BILLIE HOLIDAY 

Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream success on labels such as Colombia and Decca.