Did You Know? Billie Holiday Edition
- Kristen Petronio
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
Billie Holiday is a Jazz icon that most people are familiar with, even if they’ve only heard her name. She’s best known for her rendition of the anti-lynching song “Strange Fruit” which captivated audiences with the deep emotional inflection she brought to the performance. Despite no formal musical training, she was one of the most influential and unique performers in Jazz history. While “Strange Fruit” is known by most fans of the genre, how many know these lesser-known facts about Billie Holiday and her life? Put your Billie Holiday knowledge to the test!
Langston Hughes – a Fan
As I said in the introduction, Holiday was and continues to be influential to people from all genres of music. Her versions of songs, especially her ability to change how she sang the same song on different days, is a testament to her dynamic ability as a vocalist. There have been many tributes to her over the years, but did you know that the Harlem Renaissance poet laureate, Langston Hughes wrote a tribute poem for her called ‘Song for Billie Holiday’? Langston Hughes, for anyone who isn’t familiar, was an African American poet who often wrote about The American Dream and his experiences as a black man. Holiday was one of Hughes’ favorite jazz artists, and he was inspired by the resilience she endured despite the incredibly harsh life she had. The poem speaks of Holiday as a comfort in dark times, with lines like, “What can purge my heart/But the song/Of the sadness.” Many of Holiday’s songs were melancholic, so it seems Hughes, like many of us, really resonated and related to that pain she portrayed. She also had a poem written in her honor by Frank O’Hara and a song written for her by the rock band U2.
A Civil Rights Anthem
Song has been a part of history dating all the way back to ancient times. Many African American slaves had work songs that would help them feel connected to one another and get through the day. In the years post-slavery, much had changed, but prejudice continued (and sadly still continues). In the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, songs were created by musicians to empower those rising to resist. Though the protest song tradition didn’t truly begin in earnest until the 1950s, did you know that many consider “Strange Fruit” to be the original Black American protest song? Some even consider it to be the first anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. The song protests the lynching of Black Americans, comparing victims of this violence to fruit hanging from trees. I love this quote from culture critic Emily J Lordi who says of experiencing the song, ““Can you imagine never having heard this song before and realizing what the strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees is? That’s something that unfolds in the time of listening.” Singing a song like this, especially in white jazz clubs, was a bold move for Holiday to do at the time, but she insisted on ending most of her performances with the song. Her performance of that song was its own act of resistance.
Origins of a Poem
The song “Strange Fruit” burrows deep into the hearts of listeners, forcing them to confront the dark history of America, especially in the South. While Holiday’s version is the best-known version of the song, it’s been covered by hundreds of artists and continues to be covered by artists today. The lyrics are striking, but did you know “Strange Fruit” started out as a poem? The poem, written by school teacher Abel Meeropol under the pseudonym Lewis Allen, was called Bitter Fruit. Meeropol wrote the poem in response to the lynching still happening in the Southern states. He said he wrote the poem because “I hate lynching, and I hate injustice, and I hate the people who perpetuate it,” (Source). It’s been said that the poem wasn’t directly inspired by a lynching Meeropol witnessed himself but instead by a photo. That photo was of the 1930 lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Indiana. After publishing the poem, Meeropol had it set to music. While Holiday wasn’t the first to sing that song (that honor goes to Laura Duncan), Holiday’s rendition of the song transformed it into something even bigger, reaching more people and becoming a piece of work still analyzed and studied today.
What’s In a Name?
Many performers choose stage names to start a career in the entertainment business, and Billie Holiday was one of them. While some folks may know that Billie Holiday is a stage name, did you know the Billie Holiday name is a nod to a silent film star? Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan, but her stage name she’d become known for was inspired by the silent film star, Billie Dove. Holiday was a big fan of Dove, an actress from Baltimore who was best known for her silent films but also appeared in sound films. Holiday said she never missed any of Dove’s movies. The Holiday moniker comes from her father, Clarence Holiday, a jazz musician who abandoned her as a child. Despite their estrangement, the name stuck around for her life as a performer.
One #1 Hit
While Billie Holiday is an icon known for her unforgettable performances and magnetic stage presence, did you know that Holiday only had one number-one hit success on the charts? While her most popular album, God Bless the Child reached number 25 on the charts in 1941, her biggest-selling record, "Strange Fruit" for Commodore, charted at number 16 on the pop charts, and she had 16 best-selling songs in 1937 alone, she only had one number one song where she was the lead vocalist. That sole number-one hit as a featured vocalist was "Carelessly." While in big band groups, she found herself on the charts often, but as the sole performer, this appears to be the only number-one hit she had.
An Unexpected Iconic Look
Holiday had an iconic look that many loved her for having a big white gardenia in her hair. One just has to search for photos of her to see dozens of photos of her with the white flower in her hair. But did you know her signature look was accidental? The story goes that she burnt a patch of hair off with a curling iron while getting ready for a show. She was about to go on stage. Something had to be done. Luckily, the coat check was selling gardenias, so her friend was able to buy one and cover up the burnt patch of hair. After that show, she found she liked the look and began wearing a white gardenia at her other performances.
A Queer Icon
Holiday was already marginalized for being black and female in the era of her success, but did you know that she was also openly bisexual? While many of her male relationships are the focal point of her life when analyzed by historians, she was also known for having relationships with socialite Louise Crane and actress Tallulah Bankhead. She also had relations with the other woman inmates when she served her prison sentence. In a time when being queer was dangerous, Holiday continued her relationships with women. As if she wasn’t iconic enough!
These are a few facts about Billie Holiday that not everyone may know, but I’m sure some of you superfans reading this already know them all! If you didn’t, tell us in the comments which facts were new to you, and if you have any unique facts about Billie Holiday that we didn’t include. If you want to learn more about this iconic figure in jazz, head on over to the No Regrets: The Music & Spirit of Billie Holiday page and listen to all 13 full-length episodes! Thanks for reading!
A special thanks to the following resources who helped me put this article together...
Written by Kristen Petronio
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