Happy (almost) birthday to activist artist Billie Holiday, born on April 7, 1915. The talented, iconic blues singer performed and popularized Abel Meeropol's powerful and haunting anti-lynching protest song, "Strange Fruit."
Meeropol originally wrote the song as a poem entitled “Bitter Fruit” before changing the name and setting it to music. Holiday first sang it live at Cafe Society in New York City, and continued to perform the song despite great personal cost, including severe harassment by the FBI. Since then, numerous artists have released their own versions. Strange Fruit still inspires a vast array of art and culture around the world today.
In honor of Billie Holiday's birthday, WKCR (New York) is hosting a 24-hour broadcast on Sunday, April 7th delving into her legacy and featuring a selection of songs, interviews and insights from musicians and historians. Listeners can tune in on 89.9FM or stream it live at wkcr.org. Learn more at https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/wkcr/story/billie-holiday-birthday-bro…