Billie Holiday, the iconic jazz singer and entertainer was born 100 years ago to this day. Holiday was born in Philadelphia on April 7, 1915. Her birthname wasEleanora Fagan Gough.

During the 1930s, she recorderd her first album and worked with many jazz musicians including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and many others. Lester Young, a saxaphone player in Count Basie’s band gave her the nickname “Lady Day.” That nickname stuck with her for the rest of her career.

Throughout her highly successful music career, Holiday struggled with drugs and alcohol. Holiday died on July 17th, 1959. Many of her songs reflected feelings of love and relationships and her hardships.

Metro looks back at some of her iconic songs and images and remembers her as a beautiful African-American icon.