Columbia Records / William Gottlieb

‘The Very Best of Billie Holiday’ album cover

The cover of 'The Very Best of Billie Holiday,' a greatest hits collection released in 1997. The iconic image of Billie Holiday is by photographer William Gottlieb. Born in 1915, Billie Holiday died in 1959 at the age of 44. 'Lady Day' was the nickname given to her by saxophonist Lester Young.

See our biography of Billie Holiday