Elizabeth Blair

Elizabeth Blair is a Senior Producer on the Arts Desk of NPR News.

On a daily basis, she produces, edits and reports arts and cultural segments that air on NPR News magazines including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Her recent stories explored the rise of public humiliation in popular culture, consumers' changing media habits and the late night TV wars.

In this position that she has held since 2003, Blair's varied work has included profiles of actor Neil Patrick Harris, rapper K'Naan, and the band Pearl Jam. She has written and produced long-form documentaries on such cultural icons as Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday. Blair oversaw the production of some of NPR's most popular special projects including "50 Great Voices," the NPR series on awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time in, and the "In Character" series which explored famous American fictional characters. Blair is especially proud of her interview with Cookie Monster and her reporting on the 10th anniversary of SpongeBob.

Over the years, Blair has received several honors for her work including two Peabody Awards and a Gracie.

For three and a half years, Blair lived in Paris, France, where she co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the monthly magazine Postcard From Paris.

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Around the Nation
3:24 am
Wed September 5, 2012

The Strange Story Of The Man Behind 'Strange Fruit'

Originally published on Thu September 6, 2012 3:37 pm

One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of a lynching. But they might not realize that he's also tied to another watershed moment in America's history.

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Remembrances
3:29 pm
Mon August 20, 2012

Phyllis Diller, Comedy's Self-Deprecating Pioneer

Credit Chris Pizzello / AP
Diller poses with a photo at her Los Angeles home in 2005.

Originally published on Mon August 20, 2012 6:02 pm

A queen of comedy has died. Phyllis Diller had audiences in stitches for more than five decades with her outlandish get-ups and rapid-fire one-liners. She died at her home, where she had been in hospice care after a fall. She was 95.

Diller was glamorously outrageous — or at least the character she created was glamorously outrageous, the one who wore wigs that made her look like she had her finger in an electrical outlet, who wore gaudy sequined outfits. She was known for her laugh and those nasty jokes about her dimwitted husband, "Fang."

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The Record
5:08 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Music As The Ultimate Rebel Yell

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Thomas Mapfumo wrote one of the most famous revolutionary songs, "Hokoyo."

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 7:18 pm

The Record
2:30 pm
Tue August 7, 2012

Marvin Hamlisch, Movie And Broadway Composer, Has Died

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 7:22 pm

Arts & Life
4:44 pm
Fri August 3, 2012

Monroe's Legacy Is Making Fortune, But For Whom?

Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 6:06 pm

Marilyn Monroe, a global symbol of beauty, glamour and sex, died on Aug. 5, 1962. Fifty years later, she's still in style — and making more money than ever. Monroe's come-hither expression is emblazoned on posters, T-shirts and refrigerator magnets. She's become a multimillion-dollar brand, but that may never have happened if not for the will she left behind, a document that reveals a much quieter — and more complicated — side to her legacy.

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Around the Nation
7:35 am
Sat July 21, 2012

In Movie Theaters, How Much Security Is Enough?

The tragedy at the showing of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colo., has theaters around the country beefing up security this weekend. Movie theaters make their own decisions about what level of security they need. As NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, security experts say it's usually not enough.

London 2012: The Summer Olympics
3:03 am
Wed July 18, 2012

For Olympic Committee, Marketing Is No Game

Originally published on Wed July 18, 2012 5:57 pm

Dead Stop
2:57 am
Tue July 17, 2012

Looking For Lady Day's Resting Place? Detour Ahead

Originally published on Sat July 21, 2012 9:58 am

When Billie Holiday died in 1959, thousands of mourners attended her funeral at St. Paul the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in New York City. The overflow crowd lined the sidewalks. Honorary pallbearers included such jazz greats as Benny Goodman and Mary Lou Williams. Newspapers and magazines ran heartfelt tributes.

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American Dreams: Then And Now
3:50 am
Thu June 21, 2012

Native American Comic Living The 'Indigenous Dream'

Credit Courtesy of Charlie Hill
Comedian Charlie Hill says he's achieved the American dream, but that it's been out of reach for many fellow Native Americans.

Originally published on Thu June 21, 2012 9:53 am

Music News
10:47 pm
Sun May 20, 2012

Bee Gee Robin Gibb Dies Of Cancer At 62

Originally published on Mon May 21, 2012 8:35 am

Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees has died.

Gibb died Sunday after a long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery, according to a statement on his official website.

"The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time," the statement said.

Robin and his brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb racked up dozens of hit songs in their five decade career. Robin Gibb, who had cancer, was 62.

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