I think I do better when I sing.
She is amazingly creative, bringing so much more to a song than just a singer. She is a first-class musician and the most gracious person in the world.
Ella knows her way around her voice as very few people today. But there are times when she seems to be unaware there are things the human voice just doesn't do. She does them.
Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better.
[On bebop years] All I did was sing 'How High the Moon.' It seemed like the only song I ever sang.
She has been more famous, over a longer time span, than any other female singer.
Once, when we were playing at the Apollo Theater, Holiday was working a block away at the Harlem Opera House. Some of us went over between shows to catch her, and afterwards we went backstage. I did something then, and I still don't know if it was the right thing to do—I asked her for her autograph.
When we were at the Apollo, Holiday was a block away. I asked her for her autograph.
Sometimes when we're flying or in the hotel, I might run over songs, or in the bathroom.
