Billie Holiday, Lady in Satin (1958)

Here's the beautiful and beautifully-voiced Billie Holiday. Voice coarse but sweet, sandpaper dipped in honey. There'll never be another like her.

It's been some time since I read about her personal life, but I know she had it rough. She suffered so much physical abuse at the hands of men, she was chased by the FBI because of her heroin addiction (there's even a conspiracy theory that they supplied the suppliers and then the tails to tail her), and there were many, many times when she was downright poor.

You've got to wonder why great artists like her don't get tucked away someplace safe. There's real pain in that voice.

Lady in Satin has to be one of the best albums of all time.