Directed by Lee Daniels; screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks; based on the book by Johann Hari Sixty-two years ago, on July 17, 1959, Billie Holiday died in Metropolitan Hospital in East Harlem, New York City due to complications of chronic substance abuse, bringing an end to her career as one of the premier jazz vocalists of the mid-20th century. She is the subject of Lee Daniels’ The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a seriously misguided work. Andra Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday Holiday overcame an abusive childhood—she grew up with her prostitute mother in Baltimore and Harlem brothels—and a limited vocal range, to become a unique stylist who interpreted the popular songs of her era like a laid-back instrumentalist, delivering their lyrics with an unsettling emotional wallop.