I have the ability to sing with emotion and feeling but if you say I sound like Billie Holiday that's cool. Let's look at who Billie was: she was this person this singer this beautiful diva who could move the audience with the slightest gesture of her hand.
Religion kept some of my relatives alive because it was all they had. If they hadn't had some hope of heaven some companionship in Jesus they probably would have committed suicide their lives were so hellish.