The Hunting of Billie Holiday

[bluesoul]

Politico Magazine: The Hunting of Billie Holiday

How Lady Day found herself in the middle of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics’ early fight for survival

[Leeway]

An appalling account, still relevant today.

[jazzbo]

Well, that took my mind places it would rather not go but seems to be the truth.

Poor Billie. I'm going to play some of her music this afternoon when I get home. What a talent.

[Lazaro Vega]

"The personality test given to all applicants on Anslinger’s orders found that he was a sadist. He quickly rose through the bureau’s ranks." To protect and serve.

[AllenLowe]

I have some problems with this - or possibly not; but there are no sources cited, no footnotes to this. So I would hesitate before believing it entirely.

[SMB1968]

Beyond the lack of sources there seems to be some bungled history. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but that first paragraph appears to claim that Prohibition ended in 1930 -- which is off by three years.

[Dan Gould]

From the last page:

The full sourcing for this article can be found in the book’s endnotes.

So I guess you'll have to get the book to judge the sourcing.

[Bluesnik]

Interesting article. It corroborates some ideas I had picked up elsewhere. Like the "superhuman" dope fiends. Or others. Though I'm looking at this less from the jazz history perspective than the drug prohibition/war on drugs angle.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Bluesnik