Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), better known as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz singer with a career spanning nearly thirty years. Known as Lady Day, Billie Holliday had fame, style, a distinctive singing voice—and lots of dogs. But a boxer named Mister was the dog she loved most.
She took great care of Mister, and Mister took good care of her. When the spotlight lit her up like a star, Mister was there. When the stage—and her life—went dark, Mister was there. Although the social critic Quentin Bell, Virginia Woolf’s nephew, might have raised an eyebrow at the besweatered and mink-clad portion of Holiday’s relationship with Mister, theirs was a special bond — so much so that Mister accompanied Holiday to Harlem’s most glamorous clubs, where porters brought him “plates of thick steak” while she performed and he “kept fans at a polite distance.”
Welcome to the Stamford Rail, er, Dog Trail! Enjoy exploring this lovely trail and discover a cache series dedicated to the loyal, long-snouted domesticated mammal so central to mankind's history, sport, legend and friendship.
The cache series is winter friendly and can be done on foot or bike, and yes, dogs are welcome. Park in Stamford and start your journey southward.