The Back Story w/ Jay Weston
Lady Sings the Blues is one of the most critically acclaimed black films and biopics of all time — with five Academy-Award nominations. But have you ever wondered the back story of the successful film about Billie Holiday’s life and career? We got you!
Jay Weston is the man who started it all. Intrigued by Holiday’s life and telling her story, he, at the time in 1959, was an aspiring movie producer and told Holiday’s agent, Joe Glaser, he wanted to make a film about her life after reading her autobiography. He payed her agent $5,000 a year to the have the option to make the film until 12 years later when the movie was finally made.
Below is a photo from Weston’s Huffington Post back story about the film. But in each slide we break down the story behind the scenes and what it took to make this musical biopic.
