Diana Ross is Billie Holiday. Diana Ross sings Billie Holiday. And a superstar is born.
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) is a drama and music film directed by Sidney J. Furie, released on October 12, 1972 with a runtime of 2h 24m. It stars Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor and James T. Callahan. Viewers rate it 6.9 out of 10 across 78 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Lady Sings the Blues before you stream it.
Diana Ross
as Billie Holiday
Billy Dee Williams
as Louis McKay
Richard Pryor
as Piano Man
James T. Callahan
as Reg Hanley
Paul Hampton
as Harry
Sid Melton
as Jerry
Virginia Capers
as Mama Holiday
Yvonne Fair
as Yvonne
Isabel Sanford
as The Madame
Tracee Lyles
as The Prostitute
Ned Glass
as The Agent
Milton Selzer
as The Doctor
Directed by Sidney J. Furie, written by Chris Clark, Suzanne de Passe and William Dufty, produced by Jay Weston, James S. White and Brad Dexter.
Average viewer score of 6.9/10 from 78 ratings.
I’ve never really be an huge fan of Diana Ross’s voice, but there’s no getting away from her personable and visceral performance here as the flawed jazz musician Billie Holliday. With Motown’s Berry Gordy at the helm it was always going to lead on the music and it does that effectively too for the most part whilst giving us the basic bones of her turbulent battle with narcotics. We start in that position so often…
Reviewed on July 5, 2025
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The main cast of Lady Sings the Blues (1972) includes Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan and Paul Hampton. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Lady Sings the Blues was released on October 12, 1972 and runs for 2h 24m.
Lady Sings the Blues (1972) holds an average rating of 6.9 out of 10 from 78 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and music films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Lady Sings the Blues trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
