Strange fruit explores the history and legacy of a song unique in the annals of american music. Please submit questions or licensing requests for the commercial use of her image and likeness via the email links below. Considering the vivid images and sustained metaphor of the song strange fruit, it shouldnt be surprising that it began as a poem. Welless movie, szwed writes, was intended to be radically innovative, mixing together different styles of jazz, using the surrealist drawings of oskar. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. Watch lizz wright perform strange fruit in honor of billie holiday lizz wright stuns with a somber version of strange fruit, made famous by billie holiday, during the 2019 npr music turning.
A compelling history of strange fruit, exploring the alliance between american jews and african americans during a time of racial inequality and injustice. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey. The version i recorded for commodore, holiday said of strange fruit, became my biggestselling record. Strange fruit was the equivalent of a toptwenty hit in the 1930s.
Strange fruit is the first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. Audra mcdonald brings billie holiday to hbo usa today. This history of the songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. Abel meeropol february 10, 1903 october 29, 1986 was an american songwriter and poet whose works were published under his pseudonym, lewis allan. About strange fruit this song, written by abel meeropol and performed by many artists but most notably, billie. Billie holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time.
Strange fruit, by billie holiday, is about the lynchings of black people by white america in the 1930s. It protested american racism, particularly the lynching of black americans. In accordance with the generous wishes of william gottlieb, the photographs in the william p. Strange fruit billie holiday, cafe society, and an early cry for civil rights by david margolick running press. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey explores the power of strange fruit. Billie holiday strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, bronxborn high school teacher abel meeropol wrote a poem entitled strange fruit that begins with the words. The song is one of the most haunting in american history. With dorothy thigpen, milton gabler, farah jasmine griffin, c. The song strange fruit and its history should be required material for all high school students. The socialhistorical context of american racism and apartheid is never far below the surface of the blues, but the words of the poem strange fruit, sung by tragic billie holiday, transcend music and entertainment, and need to etched in our souls forever. Strange fruit 2007 a compilation of 1950s videos of billie holiday performing her hits. Tony dynamo audra mcdonald will transform into billie holiday for an hbo special. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with addiction.
The first photo is of billie holiday, the second picture is a copy of the 1939 78 rpm vinyl record, the third is of a lynch mob forming to lynch someone. Lee danielss billie holiday biopic will explore a lesser. Billie holiday was so well known for her rendition of strange fruit that she crafted a relationship to the song that would make them inseparable. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years archives. Atlanta jewish film festival, documentary award winner.
Billie holiday, will focus on when holliday was targeted by the federal department of narcotics, who targeted her. Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root, black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Strange fruit is a song recorded by billie holiday in 1939, written by abel meeropol and. Strange fruit song analysis final ballades, beats and. Southern trees bear a strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939.
This film won 4th place at the 2006 national history day. In the 1930s, billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but this song wasnt either of those things. Holiday s 1939 version of the song was included in the national recording registry on january 27, 2003. Billie holiday documentary billie acquired by greenwich. Strange fruit billie holiday 1939 added to the national registry. Gottlieb collection entered into the public domain on february 16, 2010. While many people assume strange fruit was written by billie holiday herself. While the draw for many would be billie holiday s interpretation of this famous song, it is the background stories that make this film so engaging. A documentary about beloved jazz great billie holiday appropriately titled billie is in the works and will reportedly feature new interviews from the icons contemporaries according to the. It is the story of billie holiday and abel meeropol in their quest to shed light on racial. Lynching is when a group of people kills a person for an alleged offense without a legal trial. A magic song from a magic voice lyrics strange fruit southern trees bear strange fruit blood on the leaves and blood at the root black bodies swinging in the southern breeze strange fruit. The tragic story behind billie holidays strange fruit biography.
But, her legacy extends way beyond music with one song in particular strange fruit. It condemned american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans that had occurred chiefly in the south but also in all regions of the united states. The audience was completely silent the first time billie holiday performed a song called strange fruit. Billie holiday, one of the greatest voices of all time, was always controversial a proud black woman who preferred white audiences, an exploited artist and a violent drug addict, a loyal friend. Watch lizz wright perform strange fruit in honor of. This site is maintained by the estate of billie holiday. Billie holiday s 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. Billie holiday was a true artist of her day and rose as a social phenomenon in the 1950s. Billie holiday lyrics strange fruit southern trees bear a strange fruit. Billie holidays 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. He wrote strange fruit 1937, which was recorded by billie holiday. Billie holiday strange fruit 1972, pr, vinyl discogs.
The first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. And while she has a checkered past let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Billie holiday, the legendary jazz singer, challenges the injustice of lynching with her iconic rendition of the song strange fruit, the first great civil rights movement protest song, but she paid a high price. Bestknown from billie holidays haunting 1939 rendition, the song strange fruit is a harrowing portrayal of the lynching of a black man in the american south. Greenwich entertainment has acquired north american rights to billie, james erskines documentary about the life of iconic jazz singer billie holiday that. Strange fruit by billie holiday essay 1037 words cram. Southern trees bear a strange fruit, blood on the leaves and blood at the root, black body swinging in the southern breeze, strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. Movies tv shows news live fashion learning spotlight. First performed by billie holiday in 1939, the song, a slow lament, is a. Holiday s popularity increased after strange fruit. Strange fruit, recorded in 1939 by billie holiday, was written by new york poetactivist. The tragic story behind billie holidays strange fruit. This film peels away the popular veneer from the song billie holiday once claimed she wrote, revealing many intriguing layers. Greenwich entertainment has acquired north american rights to billie, james erskines documentary about the life of iconic jazz singer billie holiday that world premiered over labor day weekend.
Holiday may have popularized strange fruit and turned it into a work of art, but it was a jewish communist teacher and. Strange fruit, a biting depiction of a lynching written by lewis allen. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years archives duration. Song information for strange fruit billie holiday on allmusic. Strange fruit, a polished, wellstructured documentary written and. In march 1939, a 23yearold billie holiday walked up to the mic at west 4ths cafe society in new york city to sing her final song of the night. Written by a white, jewish high school teacher from the bronx and a member of the communist party, abel meeropol wrote it as a protest poem, exposing american racism, particularly the lynching of african americans. Bestknown from billie holiday s haunting 1939 rendition, the song strange fruit is a harrowing. It was a song about injustice, and it would change her life forever. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday. He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced billie holiday to record it.
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