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Terry Justice's avatar

In 1956 the rumour circulated that Lady was going to appear at the Flamingo in London. In those days it was situated in the basement of the Mapleton Restaurant, Leicester Square and opened on Sunday nights at 7.00pm. The ridiculous union ban which prevented us seeing all the great American stars was on at the time and Lady wouldn't sing without her piano player, Carl Drinkard, so there was some doubt whether the rumour was kosher. I stood outside from 6.00pm and was first through the door and I laid siege to the spot right in front of the microphone (only one in those days). After about an hour of a little quartet playing the mc announced that a famous American piano player, Carl Drinkard, was going to entertain us and the place buzzed -- Lady would sing. I was close enough to her to touch her but wouldn't have dared, she was a goddess and she sang like an angel. My circle was complete; I saw Pres with the JATP in the Lord Mayor of London's Flood Relief Concert at the Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn, in 1953 and now I had seen his twin, Billie Holiday. Forever, I knew that I could die in peace.

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Nicole Miller's avatar

This is everything…

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