This week (April 20) marks the 86th anniversary of Billie Holiday's first recording of "Strange Fruit," the anti-lynching protest song written by Abel Meeropol (RFC founder Robert Meeropol's father).
In her honor, we share this wonderful piece in which the NYT invited ten writers and musicians to discuss their favorite Billie Holiday song/recording. Through their eyes we bear witness to her artistry and conviction and gain a window into how personal many of her performances were.
Allison Russell, a singer-songwriter, poet and activist, shares her thoughts on Holiday's cover of "Strange Fruit":
"Billie Holiday died July 17, 1959. This version of 'Strange Fruit' was recorded just prior. She first recorded the song in 1939. The words come from a poem by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish American who was moved to write it after seeing images of a lynching in a newspaper. All the pain of the world and Billie’s beleaguered life under rampant racism can be heard in this 1959 rendition. 'Strange Fruit' was and is a protest song nonpareil, unfortunately still relevant and resonant today. Billie’s world-wounded voice compels us from beyond the grave. As America fractures and frays, I turn to the artists and ancestors who remained truth tellers despite oppression, abuse and violence. Billie was hounded by government agencies who tried to silence her — specifically they did not want her singing 'Strange Fruit.' For 20 years she resisted and closed every set with it. You cannot listen to this recording and remain unmoved. A lament and a freedom song for the ages from one of the greatest artists and freedom singers America has ever produced."
Read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/arts/music/billie-holiday-jazz-music…