Strange Fruit Billie Holiday’s biggest selling record is “Strange Fruit” penned to protests Jim Crow-era lynchings (although still relevant today), and recorded by the singer in 1939. “Strange Fruit” was originally a poem written by Abel Meerpool , and published under the title “Bitter Fruit.” Holiday started performing her polarizing rendition to close out shows. She later recorded an official version of “Strange Fruit” which went platinum.
