The Day Lady Died Summary

In "The Day Lady Died," the speaker ventures out New York City on July 17th, 1959 to run errands before attending a dinner party, but the news of jazz singer Billie Holiday's death, which he sees in the headline of a newspaper, interrupts his day. With the exception of a shoeshine necessary for the dinner, the day had been, until he heard the news, seemingly unremarkable. The speaker eats lunch, buys a literary magazine, goes to the bank, and purchases gifts for two friends. Then, the sight of Holiday's face on a New York Post propels him backwards in memory: he recalls the evening he witnessed Holiday perform at the 5 Spot club, and the forceful impact of the singer's whisper-like voice upon her audience.