But again, the preference is academic, both of equal genius. Many fans have come to prefer this period of stoicism to the more upbeat singer featured on those classic Columbia Records 78’s from the 1930s. The title track, one of her most biographical, only served to more deeply indicate a new chapter of strength and gravitas was unfolding for Last Day. This era was a reinvention for Billie, blending the understated vocal textures from her 1950s Verve sides, with her finest material. Certainly when the album of the same name was released in late 1956 on Clef/Verve Records (MGC 721/Verve MV 2047), Lady Day was more in demand than ever on a de facto book tour, doing radio interviews, TV performances and arranging for her triumphant return to Carnegie Hall. There’s some evidence that the song was written after “Lady Sings The Blues” was chosen as the title of her genre-defining tell-all autobiography. The question is academic, as she, like this song, would go on to define what pop stardom was made of: telling your story, straight up. Written with young jazz pianist Herbie Nichols, the song was purely autobiographical, finally answering the question long argued by jazz writers and fans alike whether Billie was truly a blues singer or not.
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