Strange Fruit Facts for Kids

"Strange Fruit" is a very important song recorded by the famous singer Billie Holiday in 1939. It was written by Abel Meeropol, who used the name Lewis Allan. The song is a powerful protest against the terrible acts of violence, especially against Black Americans, that happened a long time ago. The lyrics compare the victims of these acts to "strange fruit" hanging from trees. These violent acts were very common in the Southern United States around the early 1900s. Many people call this song "a declaration" and even "the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement".

Meeropol created the music for his poem with his wife and singer Laura Duncan. They performed it as a protest song in places like New York City in the late 1930s. Billie Holiday's version of the song was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. It was also chosen for the "Songs of the Century" list by the Recording Industry of America.

In 2002, "Strange Fruit" was picked to be saved in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. This means it is seen as very important for its culture, history, or beauty.

About "Strange Fruit"
Billie Holiday's Powerful Version
- Recording the Song
Other Artists Sing "Strange Fruit"
Awards and Special Recognitions
Fiction
See also

About "Strange Fruit"

"Strange Fruit" started as a poem written by Abel Meeropol. He was a Jewish-American writer, teacher, and songwriter. He wrote it under his pen name, Lewis Allan. The poem was a protest against terrible acts of violence. Meeropol wrote it because he was horrified by these acts. He was especially moved by a photograph from 1930 showing a violent act in Marion, Indiana.

Meeropol first published his poem as "Bitter Fruit" in January 1937. It appeared in The New York Teacher magazine. Even though he asked others to put his poems to music, he set "Strange Fruit" to music himself. His wife and friends first sang it at social gatherings. This protest song became quite popular in New York. Meeropol, his wife, and singer Laura Duncan even performed it at Madison Square Garden.

Billie Holiday's Powerful Version

One story says that Barney Josephson heard the song. He was the owner of Café Society, a nightclub in New York City. This club was special because it was the first one in New York to welcome people of all races. Josephson then introduced the song to Billie Holiday. Other stories say that Robert Gordon, who worked with Holiday at Café Society, heard the song and told her about it.

Holiday first sang "Strange Fruit" at Café Society in 1939. She later said that singing it made her scared of danger. But the song's images reminded her of her father. So, she kept singing it and made it a regular part of her shows. Because the song was so powerful, Josephson made some rules for her performance. Holiday would sing it last. Waiters would stop serving before she sang. The room would be dark, with only a light on Holiday's face. And there would be no extra song after it. While the music played, Holiday stood with her eyes closed, like she was praying.

Recording the Song

Billie Holiday wanted to record the song with her record company, Columbia. But the company was worried about how people in the South would react. They also feared problems with their radio network, CBS. When her producer, John H. Hammond, also refused, she went to her friend Milt Gabler. He owned the Commodore label. Holiday sang "Strange Fruit" for him without music, and it made him cry.

Columbia let Holiday record the song for one session with Commodore. Frankie Newton's band from Café Society played the music. Gabler thought the song was too short. So, he asked the pianist Sonny White to play a longer introduction. On the recording, Holiday starts singing after 70 seconds. The song was recorded on April 20, 1939. Gabler made a special deal with Vocalion Records to release and share the song.

Holiday recorded the song twice for Commodore, once in 1939 and again in 1944. The song was highly praised. The 1939 recording eventually sold a million copies. It became Holiday's best-selling song ever.

In her 1956 book, Lady Sings the Blues, Holiday said she helped write the music. But writers David Margolick and Hilton Als said this was not true. They wrote a book called Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song. They said Holiday's story had many mistakes. Holiday later said she had never even read her own book, which was written by someone else.

Billie Holiday became so famous for singing "Strange Fruit" that people could not think of the song without thinking of her. Her 1939 version was added to the National Recording Registry on January 27, 2003.

In October 1939, Samuel Grafton of the New York Post wrote about "Strange Fruit". He said, "If the anger of the exploited ever mounts high enough in the South, it now has its Marseillaise." This meant the song was like a powerful anthem for change. People who fought against unfair treatment were encouraged to send copies of "Strange Fruit" to their senators. They hoped it would help pass laws against violence.

Other Artists Sing "Strange Fruit"

Many other artists have sung "Strange Fruit." Some famous ones include Nina Simone, René Marie, Jeff Buckley, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Josh White, UB40, Bettye LaVette, and Edward W. Hardy.

Nina Simone recorded the song in 1965. A journalist said her voice was "plain and unsentimental." René Marie sang it along with the song "Dixie", which was a song from the Confederate side of the Civil War. This made for a very interesting mix. A writer said that when Jeff Buckley sang it, he seemed to think deeply about what it means to be human. LA Times noted that Siouxsie and the Banshees's version had "a solemn string section" and "New Orleans funeral-march jazz." These sounds made the singer's performance even more powerful.

Awards and Special Recognitions

1999: Time magazine called "Strange Fruit" the "Best Song of the Century."
2002: The Library of Congress chose the song as one of 50 recordings to add to the National Recording Registry.
2010: The New Statesman listed it as one of the "Top 20 Political Songs."
2011: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution listed the song as Number One on "100 Songs of the South."
2021: Rolling Stone magazine listed it as the 21st best song on their "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time."

Fiction

The novel Strange Fruit (1944) by Lillian Smith was said to be inspired by Billie Holiday's version of the song.

Strange Fruit facts for kids

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