Madeleine Peyroux
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"Madeleine Peyroux" is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday.

Peyroux has cited Holiday, Bessie Smith, Patsy Cline, Édith Piaf, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Mercer, Charlie Chaplin, Serge Gainsbourg and Bob Dylan as influences on her music.

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It's work. I recognize that it's work, and it can be hard work, so making it a commodity is not so hard to believe.

When I got to Paris, it was a different world. French radio-another universe from U.S. radio. I found music that could sustain me. I found jazz and other music that I could call mine.

My father's record collection was full of New Orleans music of all kinds. I used to listen to the radio in New York, and all there was on it at the time was Madonna and Michael Jackson, so it sort of passed me by.

Things changed so quickly. The Atlantic jazz department just went from under us.

Once I was in the city, I really enjoyed it. Just to experience things. There was so much new stuff.

I listened to Billie Holiday a lot in order to learn to sing. She remains one of the extraordinary jazz singers. But my intent is to become my own voice, to be able to interpret these songs in my own way.

It's great to have other people's help. Then the music gets heard. There's a lot more commercial support for that now.

Seeing how those companies operate, it didn't amount to a massive vote of confidence in their artists. There was talk of me going to Columbia after that, but nothing happened. I got disillusioned, and I pulled back.

My father had a varied ear, from Hank Williams to Ravel.