Lady Sings The Blues

"Lady Sings the Blues" is a biographical movie about the late, great singer, Billie Holiday. Billie (Diana Ross) makes a heroic effort to rise above the hardships of her early life. She becomes a singer and is supported in her endeavors by a suave suitor Louis McKay (Billy Dee Williams) and a band musician Piano Man (Richard Pryor). Unfortunately, her great skills cannot stop a downward spiral. She is exploited by white music promoters and while on a music tour, witnesses the lynching of a black man in the South. These experiences deepen her artistry as a singer but also spur her drug addiction. The movie deals with her struggles as a black woman and as a singularly gifted artist.