Billie Holiday had $0.70 in the bank and $750 tied to her thigh when she passed away in July 1959 at the age of 44 from symptoms related to liver cirrhosis. Without a Will, Holliday passed away.
Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia, where Eleanor Fagan was born. After a difficult upbringing, she started singing at nightclubs in the Harlem area of Manhattan. She was, however, plagued with legal issues, drunkenness, and drug usage, which damaged her voice and her reputation.
Jazz music and pop singing have greatly benefited from Holiday’s vocal style and improvisational abilities. Her vocal approach, which was heavily influenced by jazz instrumentalists, invented a unique technique for phrasing and tempo manipulation.
Holliday made poor choices with men, which made her situation much harder. Holiday wed Mafia enforcer Louis McKay in March 1957. They were estranged but not divorced at the time of her passing because McKay was abusive.
According to New York law, Holliday died intestate, and McKay received her whole estate, including her income.
Who inherited Billie Holiday’s money and estate?
McKay did succeed in inheriting Holiday’s estate after she passed away in 1959 without leaving a will but, according to legend, with a roll of $50 bills strapped to her leg.
This included her recording royalties, image rights, and publishing rights to songs like “God Bless the Child” and “Fine and Mellow.”
