God Bless the Child
Written with Arthur Herzog Jr. in 1939, and one of her most covered songs.
Billie Holiday (1941)
- Written by
- Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.
- Released
- 1941
Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. wrote the song in 1939, and she first recorded it on 9 May 1941 at Columbia Studio A in New York with Eddie Heywood and his Orchestra, including Roy Eldridge on trumpet. OKeh released it in 1942. Herzog later claimed she contributed only a few lines.
It reached number 25 on the charts in 1941 and ranked third among Billboard's songs of the year, selling over a million copies. The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted it in 1976. Will Friedwald called the song "sacred and profane" in his 1990 book Jazz Singing. She re-recorded it for the 1956 album Lady Sings the Blues.
Covers and versions
- Sonny Rollins (1962) A sparse version on The Bridge, with Jim Hall on guitar.
- Blood, Sweat & Tears (1968) Sung by David Clayton-Thomas on their double Platinum album Blood, Sweat & Tears.
- Keith Jarrett Standards Trio (1983) A fifteen-minute interpretation on Standards, Vol. 1.
- J. J. Johnson (1959) An instrumental ballad on Really Livin'.
More songs by Billie Holiday
Strange Fruit, Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?), Fine and Mellow, I'm a Fool to Want You, Good Morning Heartache
Sources
- God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song), Wikipedia
- Billie Holiday, Wikipedia
- Billie Holiday timeline, Billie Holiday official site (Estate of Billie Holiday)