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By Anslem Samuel | Published July 26, 2011 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

BILLIE HOLIDAY, 44: Born Eleanora Fagan, Holiday was a noted jazz singer who shifted the musical landscape of her genre in the 1940s and garnered critical acclaim as a result. However, her long-stemming drug and drinking problems caught up to Holiday and her health began to deteriorate. By May 31, 1959, she was checked into the hospital due to complications with her liver and heart disease. She never checked out and passed away July 17, 1959 at the age of 44.

BILLIE HOLIDAY, 44: Born Eleanora Fagan, Holiday was a noted jazz singer who shifted…

(Image: Getty)

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