Whatever. I was singing hip shit. I was so nervous, but as soon as I felt the reaction, I was okay. I walked off the stage, and in the wings was Billie Holiday. She just put her arms out to me. I wish someone had had a camera. Duke Ellington came over and said, "You two beautiful bitches. Go out and take your bow. " The three of us went out, and we took a bow, and no-one had a camera. That kept me up for months. She later became a very close friend of mine, and I was honored to look after her when she was really bad. I tried - J. C. J.C. Heard and I, we were at the <span class="otherMatch" rel="popover" id="other_1090_748918"><span class="otherMatch" rel="popover" id="other_1090_748919">Apollo</span></span>, and we decided we'd go and see her. She was in the hospital, but we couldn't get in. New York killed her. She couldn't get a cabaret card. It was so terrible. I remember she invited me. She said, "Annie, it's going to be my birthday, and I'm having a few people over. I'd like you to come. " I thought, my God, this is my idol, saying she wants me to come. So of course I immediately went up. It was a sad gathering. Leonard Feather - he was the writer - said to me, "Don't ever let this happen to you. " I really did look after her. I remember she needed her hair washed. I said, "I'll wash your hair. " So I got her into a bath. I said, "I'm going to - the only thing I know - I did give a process to somebody in Paris, years ago, but I'm going to do my" [sic: your] "hair just like I used to have it done as a kid. " She thought that was hilarious. So I fixed her hair. I washed her hair. I knew that you had to get every trace of soap out. The only way that I knew to do it was with vinegar and water. She really thought that was hilarious. We had wonderful times. We used to listen to Lady in Satin, because I think there's a whole life in that recording. And she loved Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, and Annie Ross. So we'd sit there for hours, chewing on something. But none of her friends came around. It was sad. It was terrible. We happened to be away, Jon Hendricks and Dave Lambert and I, when she passed. We were on tour. Sarah - Sarah Vaughan. I remember her coming into my dressing room at the Apollo, saying, "Teach me Doodlin'. " Sarah Vaughan said to me, "Teach me"? I did. We spent so many happy times together. She made a suit for me. She loved to sew, and she could cook. I remember Billie Holiday came to a tour - was on a tour that was emceed by Leonard Feather. It was the Beryl Booker Trio. They were staying at the top of the Etoile, the top of the Champs des Elysees. Billie Holiday had on a grey mink coat. She said, "I want to get some jewelry for daddy. " Daddy was this awful man, that - well, she must have dug him. She was with him. He was not a nice man.   The two of us start out at the top of the Etoile. She stopped at every bar she saw. Now, this is my idol, so I'm going to do whatever she does. She orders - I think it was a brandy with a Pernod float. "I want one of those. " "I'll have one of those. " We proceed down the Champs des Elysees. She's straight as an arrow. I'm uhhhhhh. We get to a jewelry shop. She goes in. "Tell him I want to see some things for my daddy. " So I said, "This lady would like to buy some jewelry for her husband," blah blah blah. The guy is thrilled, because it's Billie Holiday. He brings out velvet trays with jewelry on it. She picks through the whole thing. She says, "No. I don't see what I want. " So he says, "One moment. " He goes back. He comes out with another two trays. She looks through them. She says, "No. Thank you very much, but no thank you. " We go out. We're walking down the street. We get to like three blocks from the place, and she starts to laugh, and she brings out of her pockets all of this jewelry. She thought it was a great joke, and so did I, because I didn't even think about getting caught. I would have been a nervous wreck. But she thought it was hilarious. That was just Billie Holiday in Paris. I have - the great thing about being in music, like this, is the perfection of the people who play it, and just being given the opportunity of learning from people. "Open up your ears. " That's what James Moody said to me, years and years ago. And, I have a happy ending. I'll do that tomorrow.