This is one of the most covered songs in history, with well over 2000 official recordings. The first popular cover was by Billie Holiday in 1936 ( 1986 live performance ), who transformed it into a bluesy number. Janis Joplin's blues-rock version with Big Brother & the Holding Company is probably the best known, but other notable covers were recorded by Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Ricky Nelson, John Coltrane, Julie London, Angelique Kidjo, and Frank Sinatra.
This is one of the most covered songs in history, with well over 2000 official recordings. The first popular cover was by [Billie Holiday](https://hooktube.com/watch?v=uYUqbnk7tCY) in 1936 ( [1986 live performance](https://hooktube.com/watch?v=u2bigf337aU) ), who transformed it into a bluesy number. Janis Joplin's blues-rock version with Big Brother & the Holding Company is probably the best known, but other notable covers were recorded by Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Ricky Nelson, John Coltrane, Julie London, Angelique Kidjo, and Frank Sinatra.
This is one of the most covered songs in history, with well over 2000 official recordings. The first popular cover was by Billie Holiday in 1936 ( 1986 live performance ), who transformed it into a bluesy number. Janis Joplin's blues-rock version with Big Brother & the Holding Company is probably the best known, but other notable covers were recorded by Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Ricky Nelson, John Coltrane, Julie London, Angelique Kidjo, and Frank Sinatra.