Lady Sings the Blues Poster
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Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

R 144 min  -  Biography | Drama | Music  -   12 October 1972 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 1,715 users  
Reviews: 37 user | 20 critic

The story of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday.

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Chris Clark (screenplay), Suzanne De Passe (screenplay), and 3 more credits »

Stars:

Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor
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11 photos | 42 news articles | full cast and crew »

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Related News

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9 May 2012 10:07 AM, PDT | Aol TV.
Diana Ross Turns 68: Her Iconic Style Through The Years (Photos)
26 March 2012 2:12 PM, PDT | Huffington Post
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21 February 2012 5:41 PM, PST | WENN
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Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diana Ross ...
Billy Dee Williams ...
Louis McKay
Richard Pryor ...
Piano Man
James T. Callahan James T. Callahan ...
Reg Hanley (as James Callahan)
Paul Hampton Paul Hampton ...
Harry
Sid Melton ...
Jerry
Virginia Capers Virginia Capers ...
Mama Holiday
Yvonne Fair Yvonne Fair ...
Yvonne
Isabel Sanford ...
The Madame
Tracee Lyles Tracee Lyles ...
The Prostitute
Ned Glass Ned Glass ...
The Agent
Milton Selzer Milton Selzer ...
The Doctor
Norman Bartold Norman Bartold ...
The Detective #1
Clay Tanner Clay Tanner ...
The Detective #2
Jester Hairston Jester Hairston ...
The Butler
Full cast and crew »
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Storyline

Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday. Her late childhood, stint as a prostitute, early tours, marriages and drug addiction are featured. Written by Renee Ann Byrd <byrdie@wyrdbyrd.org>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Singing | Heroin | Jazz | Drug Addiction  | See more »

Taglines:

Diana Ross is Billie Holiday. Diana Ross sings Billie Holiday and a superstar is born. See more »

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

El ocaso de una estrella See more »

Filming Locations:

Brownstone Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA See more »

Box Office

Gross:

$9,600,000 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jobete Productions, Motown Productions, Paramount Pictures See more »
Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

 | West Germany:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Diana Ross, Richard Pryor personally instructed her on how to behave during the scenes of drug use. See more »

Quotes

Piano Man: What she don't pick up from the top, she can pick up from the bottom.
Billie Holiday: I hope that works both ways!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Methadonia (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

"Happy"
Sung by Michael Jackson See more »