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. Though she would never again record such an overtly political song, she continued to perform and record. Billie holiday documentary billie acquired by greenwich. Its music and lyrics were written by abel meerpol pen name lewis allan a bronx public school teacher but are attributed to billie holiday, who first sang strange fruit in 1939 at barney josephsons cafe society, new yorks first integrated nightclub. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years archives. She was also called lady day, a nickname that her friend and musical partner lester young gave her. This film peels away the popular veneer from the song billie holiday once claimed she wrote, revealing many intriguing layers. Strange fruit is a 2004 film written and directed by kyle schickner and starring kent faulcon as william boyals and berlinda tolbert as emma ayers. In 1985 baltimore, maryland erected a statue of billie holiday that was completed in 1993 with additional panels of images inspired by her seminal song strange fruit.
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. Billie features newly unearthed interviews from those who knew holiday best charles mingus, tony bennett, sylvia syms and count basie among them and features performances restored into color. He wrote strange fruit 1937, which was recorded by billie holiday. Meeropol was a member of the american communist party, but would later quit.
The song strange fruit and its history should be required material for all high school students. April 7, 1915 july 17, 1959 was an american jazz singer and songwriter. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas. It is the story of billie holiday and abel meeropol in their quest to shed light on racial injustice, especially lynching, in america. Umgang mit dem begriff strange fruit klingt in dem britischen film still crazy an. Holiday first performed strange fruit at cafe society, a mixedrace nightclub in greenwich village one of the few venues where she didnt have to enter through the kitchen. It starts with the simple premise of a song, strange fruit, which bronxborn school teacherabel merepol wrote the lyrics for and jazz diva billie holliday later made famous. Licensed to youtube by ingrooves on behalf of excalibur recordings. Billie holiday timeline the official website of billie. Billie holiday recorded her iconic version of strange fruit on 20 april 1939. Billie holidays interpretation aus dem jahr 1939 bekannt, schildert strange.
Oniera films llc 78 ratterman road, woodstock new york, ny 12498, usa t 845. In accordance with the generous wishes of william gottlieb, the photographs in the william p. The song strange fruit by billie holiday is a jazz ballad which can also be attributed to the blues style. Billie holiday s 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. Wahrend viele irrtumlicherweise annehmen, dass holiday strange fruit. Abel meeropol february 10, 1903 october 29, 1986 was an american songwriter and poet whose works were published under his pseudonym, lewis allan.
Billie holiday was a true artist of her day and rose as a social phenomenon in the 1950s. And while she has a checkered past let him who is without sin cast the first stone. The strange story of the man behind strange fruit one of billie holiday s most iconic songs is strange fruit, a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Her soulful, unique singing voice and her ability to boldly turn any material that she confronted into her own music made her a superstar of her time. Billie holiday essay examples and ideas on study boss. Strange fruit very masterfully combines history, biography, and jazz music. The film tells a dramatic story of americas past by using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever written as its epicenter. Diana ross starring as lady day in the film lady sings the blues. First performed by billie holiday in 1939, the song, a slow lament, is a. Eighty years on, aida amoako explores how a poem about lynching became a timeless call to action.
In 2019, chirlane mccray announced that new york city would build a statue honoring holiday near queens borough hall. 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. The lyrics of the song made famous by billie holiday, referred to lynching. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical. Before billie holiday released the song, it was a poem, written by the american teacher abel merropol. Holiday was a very important influence on jazz and pop singing. The night before they had been charged with murdering a white factory. The songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas radical past using one of the most influential protest songs ever. Strange fruit, a polished, wellstructured documentary written and. Strange fruit was not popular fare, but eventually, with billie holiday s voice and presence, it permeated mainstream culture in an. Holiday s 1939 version of the song was included in the national recording registry on january 27, 2003.
This site is maintained by the estate of billie holiday. Strange fruit, a song first recorded by billie holliday in 1939, has become an. Short animated film that contrasts pastoral scenes of the old south with the racial violence that occured during the jim crow era in the united states. Tony dynamo audra mcdonald will transform into billie holiday for an hbo special.
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 weeke. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey. These are the opening words to one of the worlds most famous protest songs. Not only do we delve into the racism that bore this song, but also the interactions between racism, the early labor movement, mccarthyism, and popular culture. The first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic. The tragic story behind billie holiday s strange fruit to great controversy, lady day introduced the world to the racially charged protest song strange fruit. Strange fruit was its title, and the lyrics, which appear below, described the lynching of black people, a savage practice which had, at the time, continued to occur in several areas of the u. Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years archives duration. Strange fruit marked a watershed, praised by some, lamented by others, in holiday s evolution from exuberant jazz singer to chanteuse of lovelorn pain and loneliness.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit, begins the protest song made famous by billie holiday and recorded by artists as various as ella fitzgerald, pete seeger, tori amos, little jimmy scott. Theres so little of billie holiday on film such shabby little fragments really, of such a sublime and unique performer that one can only kneel in gratitude to have anything. The story behind billie holidays signature song examines the history of lynching, and the interplay of race, labor and the left, and popular. Strange fruit 2002 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. Billie holiday is considered one of the best jazz vocalists of all time, holiday had a thriving career as a jazz singer for many years before she lost her battle with substance abuse. This film won 4th place at the 2006 national history day. Billie holidays 1939 song about racist lynchings redefined popular music. 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.
The song caused such controversy when it was first heard, that producers and radio stations wanted nothing to do with it. 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. The single strange fruit made billie holiday a star. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday. Audra mcdonald brings billie holiday to hbo usa today. The tragic story behind billie holidays strange fruit. She runs away to her mother, who sets up a job cleaning for another brothel in the harlem section of new york. Strange fruit is a song performed most famously by billie holiday, who first sang and recorded it in 1939. Holiday had hits with god bless the child, lover man, lady in satin, gloomy sunday, and easy living.
Billie holiday strange fruit live 1959 reelin in the years. Salt honors 75 th anniversary of billie holiday s strange fruit to download for your congregation, visit salts website. 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. Billie holidays dignified and heartbreaking rendition of strange fruit, released on the commodore label in 1939, was, according to the music critic leonard feather, the first significant protest in words and music, the first unmuted cry against racism. This poem was a response to the lynchings going on in the south due to racism and jim read more. He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced billie holiday to record it. Gottlieb collection entered into the public domain on february 16, 2010. In a flashback to 1928, billie is working as a housekeeper in a brothel in baltimore where she is raped. Once holiday added it to her repertoire, some of its sadness seemed to cling to her.
This history of the songs evolution tells a dramatic story of americas r. As announced today by the network, mcdonald will film her hit broadway show, lady day at emersons bar and grill. Watch strange fruit online vimeo on demand on vimeo. Strange fruit short film center for pastoral excellence. 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. On august 7, 1930, two africanamerican teenagers, thomas shipp and abram smith, were lynched by a violent mob in marion, indiana. It is the story of billie holiday and abel meeropol in their quest to shed light on racial. Andra day channels billie holiday for strange fruit. Please submit questions or licensing requests for the commercial use of her image and likeness via the email links below.
The way that she sang was similar to the way jazz musicians played their instruments. Twotime grammy nominee andra day calls forward a call of protest from 1939, confronting its still relevant subject matter with a soulful cover of billie holiday s strange fruit. In an extract from his history of protest songs, dorian lynskey explores the power of strange fruit. 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 hanging. Billie holiday, died at the age of 44 and is buried at saint raymonds cemetery in bronx county, ny. 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. Atlanta jewish film festival, documentary award winner. Strange fruit is the first documentary exploring the history and legacy of the billie holiday classic.
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