Billie Holiday & Diana Ross, 2000

Inductee Diana Ross pays homage to and welcomes the late Billie Holiday into the Hall of Fame as an Early Influence, leading with a haunting performance of “Strange Fruit.” Ross’s praise flows like poetry, reflecting the power and pain of a woman whose impact continues to inspire generation after generation. Billie Holiday’s voice came out of her soul, and it’s the soul she left behind that has forever changed the landscape of rock & roll. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
M Welcome to Induction Vault, a production of I Heart
Radio and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We're
Good to Me and Welcome to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame fifteen Anniversary Inductions ceremony. In the nineteen

(00:30):
seventies Hall of Fame inductee, Diana Ross gave a stunning
portrayal of the late Billie Holiday in the biopic Lady
Sings the Blues and experience she calls one of the
highlights of her life. Fast forward to the year two thousand.
In a full circle moment, as Ross gets to pay
homage to and welcome Billy into the Hall of Fame,
she leads with a haunting acapella performance of Strange Fruit,

(00:52):
sung to an utterly silent and rapped audience. Ross's praise
flows like poetry, reflecting a power and pain of a
woman whose impact continues to inspire generation after generation, long
after she passed away. In nine when its state executor
Mifflin Hayes accepts the award on Holiday's behalf, those on

(01:14):
hand that night could no doubt since the grief, he
expressed that Lady Day could not be there to accept
the award herself. Billie Holiday's voice came out of her soul,
and it's the soul she left behind that has forever
changed the landscape. Rock and wolly, southern trees. They're strange route,

(01:50):
blood on the leads and Lord the route, black body
swinging from the southern trees. Strange fruit hanging from the

(02:13):
poplar tree. Here is a fruit for the crows to plug,
for the rain together, for the winds to song, for

(02:37):
the sun to right, for the tree to drunk. Here
is a strange and chess grand Okay. To be a

(03:23):
part of Tonight's ceremonies is a tremendous honor for me.
It's one that I will cherish forever. I gave me
a chance to touch Lady Day's incredible life story, to
be sensitive to her pain, her grief, and also her genius.
I was very privileged to be nominated for an Academy

(03:45):
Award to play playing Billie Holiday's life. Okay. For me,
it was one of the highlights of my life. Lady Day,
such a grace, such a power bound up in such
a great sadness. Lady Day, such an original, so authentic.

(04:06):
No one like her, her walk, her beautiful mouth, her
white guardina, her style and styling her, smiling that voice
that came out of her soul. Jazz blues. Jazz blues
didn't save her. Jazz blues jazz blues made her swayed her,

(04:30):
stayed her, played her. She who gave us the world
In this a lesson artist, handle with care, don't lose
yourself in the music. Beware stardom's glare. I am so
pleased to induct into the Rock and Roll Hall of

(04:50):
Fame a tremendous artist who is still influencing our music,
ladies and gentlemen, the unforgettable Billie Holiday. Yeah, after the break,
we'll hear from the state Executive Mis Hayes, who accepts
on the behalf of Billy Holiday on the Rock and

(05:11):
Roll Hall of Fame induction vault. As I stand here
tonight listening to this incredible Hall of Fame talent, I
can't help but be in AWE also understand how what

(05:35):
a talent it is to be able to perform. As
I look at it, the sea of faces and feel
quite nervous about it. I have several regrets in my
life to come to mind tonight. One is that Billy
cannot be here in person to accept this award or
I know she'd be quite honored to to to receive it.
The second is I did not know her personally. Fortunately

(05:56):
for me, though, I've spent the last thirty four years
of my life uh involved in her music, with her,
with people who knew her, and with her life. It's
been a wonderful time. I've learned to appreciate what an
incredible talent she was. She was, yes, an early influence
in rock and for rock and roll, she was also
an influence I think for all American music from the

(06:18):
from the forties today and probably for a long time
to come. We are fortunate to have her inducted in
the Hall of Fame, and I want to thank the
Hall of Fame and behalf of Billy and in behalf
of the fans who really appreciate her great music, for
inducting her into the Hall of Fame. While Billy is
not here today, I assure you that her spirit is

(06:40):
it's up and around us. And feeling very honored for
this tribute. Thank you. Thanks for joining us on this

(07:08):
week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Vault.
For more on your favorite inductees to shop inducting merch or.
To plan your trip to the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame, visit rock hall dot com plus Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special on demand on HBO Max.
Our executive producers are Noel Brown, Shelby Morrison, and Esa Gurkey.

(07:30):
Supervising producer is Taylor Shakoin. Research and archival assistants from
Isabelle Keeper and Shannon Herb. Thanks again for joining us
on this week's episode of Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame Induction. Vault Induction Ball is a production of I
Heart Radio in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

(07:52):
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