Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Biography of a Song

Strange Fruit: The Biography of a Song

This revealing account explores the origins and cultural impact of "Strange Fruit," the revolutionary anti-lynching song recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. Voted "Song of the Century" by Time magazine, this groundbreaking jazz recording became the first significant anthem of the Civil Rights movement and remains one of the most powerful protest songs in American history.

The Story Behind Billie Holiday's Most Famous Performance

David Margolick cuts through decades of mythology to reveal the true story of how "Strange Fruit" came to be performed at New York's Café Society and its journey to the center of America's conscience. First sung in 1939—a year that saw three recorded lynchings and the publication of Gone with the Wind—the song held audiences in rapt attention, moving some to tears and others to anger while forcing a heightened awareness of racist violence in the South.

Learn the History Featured in "United States vs. Billie Holiday"

Now featured in Andra Day's acclaimed Hulu film "United States vs. Billie Holiday," this book provides essential context for understanding the song's revolutionary impact. Margolick establishes the political and cultural landscape of 1939 and traces the song's evolution through the red-baiting 1950s, the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, and its continued reverence today.

Commentary from Jazz and Civil Rights Legends

The narrative includes perspectives from influential voices including Lena Horne, Paul Robeson, Pauline Kael, Charles Mingus, Cassandra Wilson, and Maya Angelou. These diverse reactions from black and white audiences across different eras illuminate how the song shaped America's evolving consciousness of racism.

Essential Reading for Music History and Civil Rights Studies

This book explores the intricate connections between jazz, race, and politics in twentieth-century America. It serves as both a biography of an extraordinary song and a window into the woman who sang it, revealing how "Strange Fruit" became the first direct assault against racial lynchings in popular music. Published by Ecco Press, this paperback edition preserves Margolick's four-time Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalism and provides essential reading for anyone studying American music history, the Civil Rights movement, or Billie Holiday's lasting cultural legacy.