Nora Holt was born around 1884 or 1885 in Kansas City, Kansas. Her original name was Lena or Lora Douglas. Her father, Calvin Douglas, was a minister in the AME Church, and her mother was Gracie Brown Douglas. Early in life, Nora took piano lessons and developed a love for music. She also played the organ at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. She did well in school, graduating as valedictorian from Western University in 1917. The next year, she became the first African-American to earn a master's degree in music composition from the Chicago Musical College. She also studied music inFrance,andwroteasmusiccriticforChicagoDefender.​ Duringhercareer,NoraholthelpedstarttheNationalAssociationofNegroMusiciansandpublishedamagazinenamed"MusicandPoetry."Shercomposedmanyorchestralandchamberpieces,butmostwerelostwhileshewasabroad.Later,sheworkedaseditorandmusiccriticfortheAmsterdamNews.Shealsoranherradioprogramssuchas"AmericanNegroArtists"and"NoraHolt'sConcertShowcase."Noraearnedrecognitioninthemusicworld,includingmembershipintheMusicCriticsCircleofNewYork. NoraHolthadalivingandcomplexpersonallife.Mariesmuchasfivetimesandshebegantousingthenamed"Nora"duringherfourthmarriagetoaManamedGeorgeHolt.Inhte1920sheledaglamorouslifestyleandmovedintothelivingcircleofHarlemRenaissanceartistslikeLangstonHughes. Nora Holt passed away in Los Angeles on January 25, 1974, when she was 89 years old.