Picture of Billie Holiday

After becoming a successful nightclub singer in the 1930s, legendary jazz icon Billie Holiday developed a deep bond with her dogs—most notably her beloved boxer, Mister. The two were virtually inseparable: Mister accompanied her to gigs, waited patiently backstage or at the bar (where staff spoiled him with steak and milk), and spent late nights with her listening to the radio in Greenwich Village. Learn about this and many other stories behind performing artists and their pets in the Library for the Performing Arts's free exhibition, "Unleashed: Pets of the Performing Arts."