Louis McKay died at the Age of 72 following a heart attack and was survived by his wife Bernice Yancey McKay and two sons. As posted last week McKay was Billie Holliday’s fourth husband and road manager, as Holliday died intestate McKay was the sole heir of her estate.
McKay married Bernice in December 1975, they had no children. When he died he bequeathed 20% of his estate to Bernice and the remainder to Louis McKay, III, his son by a previous marriage.
Louis McKay’s estate consisted almost entirely of royalty interests in various musical compositions written or recorded by Billie Holiday, as well as in her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues. It was estimated that at that time these royalty interests were $15,000 to $20,000 annually.
Bernice McKay, sought advice from the executor of the estate whether to claim the widow’s elective share or to take the 20% bequest of the residuary estate as provided by the will.
The elective share reserves a portion of a deceased estate for the surviving spouse to prevent them from falling into poverty and becoming a burden on the community. Under New Jersey law, a surviving spouse has a right of election to take a one-third share of the augmented estate. The augmented estate is defined as the Estate reduced by funeral and administration expenses plus any transfer under a right of survivorship, and the deceased’s notional estate – which is the value of the property transferred by the deceased at any time during the marriage where they maintained a beneficial interest in that property.
The Court decided that Bernice was entitled to an elective share of one-third of the augmented estate of Louis McKay. Holiday’s estate is worth around $1,000,000 and brings in $121,212 per year.
The important thing to take away from this story is that if you die intestate what happens to your estate including royalties from writing, recordings or art work could end up enriching people who are entirely unrelated to you.
Related
FAQs
Billie Holiday
Who got Billie Holiday's money? ›
Under New York law, Holiday's estate went to her estranged husband, Mafia enforcer Louis McKay – who had been abusive to his wife throughout their marriage. He was Billie's sole heir, including to her royalties, and lived until he was 72 – leaving behind a wife and two sons when he died of a heart attack.
Who controls Billie Holiday estate? ›
Billie Holiday's estate went to her abusive third husband, then his widow. Now it's owned by Concord, which is benefiting from new films.
How rich was Billie Holiday when she died? ›
Holiday's estate was valued at around $1,000,000 and earned $121,212 per year. The Court awarded a woman that Holiday didn't know a one-third share of McKay's estate — which was earning $15,000 a year at that time in royalties from Holliday's music.
What did Louis McKay do for a living? ›
Louis McKay was Billie Holiday's abusive husband. A mobster who started out as her pimp when she was only a teenager, McKay eventually pressured her into marrying him. When she left him, he colluded with Harry Anslinger to get her arrested.
How many husbands did Billie Holiday have? ›
| Billie Holiday |
|---|
| Years active | c. 1930–1959 |
| Spouses | Jimmy Monroe ( m. 1941; div. 1947) Joe Guy ( m. 1951; div. 1957) Louis McKay ( m. 1957) |
| Musical career |
| Genres | Jazz swing blues traditional pop |
12 more rowsHer romantic tastes were equally iconoclastic; allegedly, she had affairs with Charles Laughton, Tallulah Bankhead, and Orson Welles, the “finest cat” she ever met. Pugnacious as she was precocious, Holiday battled through the sadness of her life, time and time again. “I know Lady,” Louis Armstrong once said.
What did Billie Holiday's dad do for a living? ›
Her father, Clarence Holiday, was a jazz guitarist in Fletcher Henderson's band, a very popular Black band of his day, who shirked the responsibilities of fatherhood in favor of traveling with his band and being a visitor.
What is Billie Holiday's most famous quote? ›
No two people on earth are alike, and it's got to be that way in music or it isn't music. If I'm going to sing like someone else, then I don't need to sing at all.
Did Billie Holiday have a relationship with a federal agent? ›
Whether or not they actually had a physical relationship is hard to say, but it does seem that Fletcher and Holiday did have some sort of relationship, though it may have involved a sense of betrayal.
The cause of death was heart failure brought on by cirrhosis of the liver — in short, alcoholism. Yet, as she lay on her deathbed, she was hit by an avalanche of lurid headlines like “Charge Billie Holiday Used Narcotics While in Hospital” and “Singer Held in Dope Case.”
Did Billie Holiday have any children? ›
Billie Holiday - Lady Day had a lot of ups and downs before she died at the age of 44 in 1959, but no children. Instead, her legacy lives on through her timeless music.
What did Billie Holiday's husband do for a living? ›
In 1957, after their arrests, Holiday and Louis McKay got married in Mexico. She had married several times before, always to abusive men with drug problems, but McKay was the last. He worked as a mob enforcer and was naturally abusive.
How much is Billie Holiday's estate worth today? ›
Billie Holiday, 44
She was estranged from her fourth husband, an alleged mafia enforcer, but they weren't divorced—allowing him to inherit her entire estate, including royalties. Estimates about its value today vary, from over $1 million to as much as $14 million.
Where is Billie Holiday buried? ›
On a hot summer day in 1959 Billie was laid to rest in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx. She was 44.
How many dogs did Billie Holiday have? ›
Holiday's life was always full of beloved dogs — among them the tiny poodle she carried in her coat pocket; Gypsy, the Great Dane; Chiquita and Pepe, the baby-bottle-fed Chihuahuas; and Bessie Mae Moocho, the wire-haired terrier. But her true canine soul-mate was a boxer named Mister.
What was Billie Holiday's last word? ›
“Don't be in such a hurry.” —Billie Holiday, musical artist, on July 17, 1959.
Who was the federal agent with Billie Holiday? ›
Billie Holiday, Andra Day's Holiday embarks upon a steamy romance with Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes), the agent Anslinger tasks with finding ways to imprison her on drug charges. That part of the story is fictionalized, but the agent did speak of her notable affection.
Who was Billie Holiday's closest friend? ›
Today is National Friendship Day! The intensely intimate but totally platonic relationship that developed between Young and Holiday from 1934 was publicly recognized during their lifetime. In the 30s Billie Holiday and Lester Young recorded a series of memorable sides together.
