Lady Sings the Blues
Diana Ross is Billie Holiday. Diana Ross sings Billie Holiday. And a superstar is born.
1972 | 144m | English
Popularity: 3 (history)
| Director: | Sidney J. Furie |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Chris Clark, William Dufty, Terence McCloy, Suzanne de Passe, Billie Holiday |
| Staring: |
| Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life. | |
| Release Date: | Oct 12, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Sidney J. Furie |
| Writer: | Chris Clark, William Dufty, Terence McCloy, Suzanne de Passe, Billie Holiday |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | brothel, mental breakdown, tour bus, rape victim, racism, based on memoir or autobiography, music history, lynching, dying young, black singer, withdrawal, heroin addict, nightclub singer, blues music, billie holiday, harlem, new york city, carnegie hall, rise to fame, wayward girl, death of a musician, somber, following one's dream, desperate, period film, straight jacket, cautionary, black woman, woman's story, disheartening, powerful, woman musician, deep south racism, kkk rally |
| Production Companies | Paramount Pictures, Motown Productions, Weston Productions, Jobete Productions, Sidney J. Furie Productions |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $19,726,490
Budget: $2,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 Entered: Apr 14, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Diana Ross | Billie Holiday |
| Billy Dee Williams | Louis McKay |
| Richard Pryor | Piano Man |
| James T. Callahan | Reg Hanley |
| Paul Hampton | Harry |
| Sid Melton | Jerry |
| Virginia Capers | Mama Holiday |
| Yvonne Fair | Yvonne |
| Isabel Sanford | The Madame |
| Tracee Lyles | The Prostitute |
| Ned Glass | The Agent |
| Milton Selzer | The Doctor |
| Norman Bartold | The Detective #1 |
| Clay Tanner | The Detective #2 |
| Jester Hairston | The Butler |
| Bert Kramer | The Policeman |
| Paul Micale | The Maitre d' |
| Michele Aller | The Singer |
| Byron Kane | The Announcer |
| Barbara Minkus | Radio Actress |
| Kay Lewis | Angela DeMarco |
| Helen Lewis | Debbie McGee |
| George Wyner | The M.C. |
| Shirley Melline | The Policewoman |
| Toby Russ | The Jail Guard |
| Larry Duran | Hood #1 |
| Ernest Robinson | Hood #2 |
| Don McGovern | Reporter #1 |
| Dick Poston | Reporter #2 |
| Charles Woolf | Reporter #3 |
| Denise Denise | Denise |
| Lynn Hamilton | Aunt Ida |
| Victor Morosco | Vic |
| Robert L. Gordy | The Hawk |
| Harry Caesar | The Rapist |
| Paulene Myers | Mrs. Edson |
| Scatman Crothers | Big Ben |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| John A. Alonzo | Director of Photography |
| Argyle Nelson Jr. | Editor |
| Ray Aghayan | Costume Design |
| Joe Scully | Casting |
| Carl Anderson | Production Design |
| Reg Allen | Set Decoration |
| Randy Glass | Best Boy Electrician |
| Chris Clark | Screenplay |
| William Dufty | Book |
| Terence McCloy | Screenplay |
| Norma Koch | Costume Design |
| Cherie | Hairstylist |
| Don Schoenfeld | Makeup Supervisor |
| Millie Moore | Post Production Supervisor |
| Eddie Saeta | Production Manager |
| Gil Askey | Music Co-Supervisor |
| Sidney J. Furie | Director |
| Michel Legrand | Original Music Composer |
| Bob Mackie | Costume Design |
| Suzanne de Passe | Screenplay |
| Billie Holiday | Book |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Jay Weston | Producer |
| James S. White | Producer |
| Eddie Saeta | Associate Producer |
| Brad Dexter | Producer |
| Berry Gordy | Executive Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 2024 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 5 |
| 2024 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 4 |
| 2024 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| 2024 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 3 |
| 2024 | 10 | 15 | 53 | 3 |
| 2024 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| 2025 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Trending Position