Lady Sings the American Blues

While we’re talking about righteous justice, here’s something else we can very much look forward to. We’re slowly working our way through some long-deserved biopics about the great women (who also happened to love other women) of the blues and soul. Dee Rees’s “Bessie” in 2015. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2020. And now “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” The film chronicles the iconic singer’s long persecution by the American government (which, yeah, we’ve never been great). I can’t wait to see Andra Day as Billie Holiday with Natasha Lyonne as film star Tallulah Bankhead, obviously. Let’s hope the film does these great women justice.