“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday

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“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday

rare live footage

song info

    “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday is an anti-racism jazz ballad.
    Rare B&W live footage.
    This song was written by Bronx school teacher Abe Meerpool after he saw a 1930 photgraph of two black men lynched in Marion, Indiana.

    Song Title: Strange Fruit (live)
    Artist: Billie Holiday
    Genre: jazz, blues
    Composer: Copyright © 1937 Abel Meeropol (a Jewish school teacher)
    Lead Vocals: Billie Holiday
    Instruments: Frankie Newton’s eight-piece Cafe Society Band (original recording)
    Piano: Sonny White (original recording)
    Producer: Milt Gabler, because Billie Holday’s regular producer, John Hammond, was afraid of the possible response (original recording)
    Recorded: April 20, 1939 (original recording)
    Released: 1939 (original recording)
    Label: Vocalion Records, Billie Holiday was released from her contract with Columbia Records for one day because Columbia was afraid of the possible response
    Number of listens: 38461
    Current rank: 12 (updated weekly)
    Highest rank: 10 (play the video all the way through to register a vote for this song)

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Sean: Strange Fruit is Jana’s favorite song.

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song number is 250

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