Black History Month Music: Billie Holiday
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86855)
United States
February 14, 2026 11:06am CST
Happy day-before-half-price-chocolate day! 
Ask a single person, we’ll tell you what today is REALLY about. 
Let’s keep celebrating Black History Month with another one of the greats, a pioneer in music and civil rights.
Billie Holiday
Lady Day. when I did that “banned songs” list a couple of years ago the teaser song was Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” a song from 1939. The song, about lynchings in the south by the Klan, was so controversial that Holiday’s record label forbade her from recording it and her record producer refused to participate (so she went to an independent label to have it recorded and released).
There are claims that the federal government wasn’t too happy with that song, either. Holiday developed a rather nasty heroin habit, and she seemed to be “targeted” for harassment and arrest. In 1947, her own lawyer failed to show to her trial for narcotics possession, causing the prosecuting attorney to plead for leniency in her case.
Oh, it gets worse. In 1959, the woman was lying in a hospital bed in New York City, dying from cirrhosis caused by her supplementing her drug use with alcohol. The feds came into her hospital room, arrested her for drug possession, and handcuffed her to her hospital bed. She died two days later. (So for you kids who are appalled by modern government actions and are wondering why us old folks aren’t wringing our hands…we’ve seen it before.) Like Marvin Gaye, earlier in the countdown, Lady Day was only 44 when she died.
Diana Ross (not featured this month, believe it or not) played Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues, for which she was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. These days, we know Lady Day’s greatness. I just wish it could have been recognized in time to have saved her life.
Billie Holiday
Born Elanora Fagan, April 7, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died July 17, 1959, New York City (cirrhosis) (age 44)
HALLS OF FAME: Rock and Roll, 2000; DownBeat Jazz, 1961; National Rhythm & Blues, 2017
Goosebumps time: Billie singing “God Bless the Child”:
Ask a single person, we’ll tell you what today is REALLY about. Let’s keep celebrating Black History Month with another one of the greats, a pioneer in music and civil rights.
Billie Holiday
Lady Day. when I did that “banned songs” list a couple of years ago the teaser song was Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” a song from 1939. The song, about lynchings in the south by the Klan, was so controversial that Holiday’s record label forbade her from recording it and her record producer refused to participate (so she went to an independent label to have it recorded and released).
There are claims that the federal government wasn’t too happy with that song, either. Holiday developed a rather nasty heroin habit, and she seemed to be “targeted” for harassment and arrest. In 1947, her own lawyer failed to show to her trial for narcotics possession, causing the prosecuting attorney to plead for leniency in her case.
Oh, it gets worse. In 1959, the woman was lying in a hospital bed in New York City, dying from cirrhosis caused by her supplementing her drug use with alcohol. The feds came into her hospital room, arrested her for drug possession, and handcuffed her to her hospital bed. She died two days later. (So for you kids who are appalled by modern government actions and are wondering why us old folks aren’t wringing our hands…we’ve seen it before.) Like Marvin Gaye, earlier in the countdown, Lady Day was only 44 when she died.
Diana Ross (not featured this month, believe it or not) played Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues, for which she was nominated for an Oscar and won a Golden Globe. These days, we know Lady Day’s greatness. I just wish it could have been recognized in time to have saved her life.
Billie Holiday
Born Elanora Fagan, April 7, 1915, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died July 17, 1959, New York City (cirrhosis) (age 44)
HALLS OF FAME: Rock and Roll, 2000; DownBeat Jazz, 1961; National Rhythm & Blues, 2017
Goosebumps time: Billie singing “God Bless the Child”:Your browser isn’t supported anymore. Update it to get the best YouTube experience and our latest features. Learn moreRemind me later
18 people like this
17 responses
@MarieCoyle (59351)
•
15 Feb
I watched Lady Sings The Blues with my aunt, who had always wanted to see it. That was back in the days of rental movie stores, and she made a list of movies to watch, so we tried to watch one together when I was with her. Brings back good memories.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
I’d like to watch it…but I don’t know if I could take it. Watching biographies of her hurts.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238356)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Feb
@FourWalls Some feminist scholars say she lived her life as she wanted to live it. I do not know.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (59351)
•
15 Feb
@FourWalls
I recall that both aunt and I cried. It had a lot of truly sad scenes. But she had always wanted to see it and she was worth any tears I shed.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238356)
• Walnut Creek, California
15 Feb
A lot of people don't know that Strange Fruit was originally written by a Jewish school teacher from New York. If I am reading this right, he and his wife eventually adopted the Rosenberg's kids after they were executed.
https://www.npr.org/2012/09/05/158933012/the-strange-story-of-the-man-behind-strange-fruit
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
A lot of people don’t know that Jews help found the NAACP. If any group of people know the pain of discrimination, it’s the Jews.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (238356)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Feb
@FourWalls Have you read "The Color of Water"? It's an interesting book about the uneasy but mutually supportive relationship between Jews and blacks in the South a generation or two ago.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
I didn’t include the other stuff like abusive husbands and partners.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
If Billie had been white, she probably wouldn’t have been handcuffed to her bed. But if she had been white we wouldn’t have had “Strange Fruit.” That song sends shivers down my spine. Very intense song.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (382457)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Feb
@FourWalls Our son talks about 'profiling'. He is quite solid with a beard and looks a bit like a Muslim. He often walks back streets checking out graffiti as he likes taking photos of them. He's had the police more or less trail him, or stop and check him out. It's a tough one all round but certainly in those days it would have been much worse.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (209132)
• United States
15 Feb
A name I heard over the years. I didn't know anything about her though. Talking about lynchings..this state is going to put historical markers where black people were lynched. That seems chilling..but maybe necessary. Surprised they are doing that, The Waller farm where K, Kinte (Roots)was held is less than 10 miles from here. I wanted to ask the county Hiatorical socitywhy there isn't a marker there, but I think they would probably say it hasn't been officially documented or some other lame excuse.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209132)
• United States
15 Feb
@FourWalls In Alabama, I am sure you know they have a museum with glass placards for those that were lynched. It was a large number, over 100 I think.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
I’d hate to think they could put markers up in Mississippi…so many lynchings and murders there that every inch of land would have a marker. 
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189957)
• Boise, Idaho
14 Feb
I remember the story about this song. Forbidden Fruit. I've heard it once. No one was very happy about that song. I can see why. Have you heard it? It was real and it happened. So many stories of the treatment people got. It doesn't seem to have gotten much better.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
Yes, I’ve heard it. It’s a very painful song to listen to.
1 person likes this
@crossbones27 (53005)
• Mojave, California
15 Feb
Don't get me started on this one. If you a legend of Mike Ness, you are a legend of mine. I think he didd a cover of her and there is this one, which I like best. Its the ultimate compliment to be a character in this video. 
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1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
Don’t see many people with tattoos of Billie Holiday AND Hank Williams. 
Great song.
Great song.
@DaddyEvil (174696)
• United States
14 Feb
Pretty told me yesterday that I'd better be able to see tomorrow so we can go to Walmart and buy half-priced candy. (I'll be able to see well enough to do that, I'm sure. 
)
(I'll be able to see well enough to do that, I'm sure. )1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
Hurry before they replace it with the St. Patrick candy!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
We’ll get you an old victrola and some 78s for the escape room. 
2 people like this
@Deepizzaguy (122305)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
15 Feb
Billie Holliday was before my time.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (35267)
•
17 Feb
I had no idea that she was black.
Honestly, even in the picture here she doesn't look black
I knew her Sister , Summer
Cliff Richard did too
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
17 Feb
A lot of black entertainers were able to sneak through because they were light-skinned. Others, believe it or not, took advantage of “blackface” performers and used greasepaint to appear to be a white playing a black.
As for Billie, 10cc did a song about her Jamaican cousin, Dreadlock.
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1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (35267)
•
17 Feb
@FourWalls Dreadlock Holiday, oh I remember 10cc - 40cc less than my first motorbike back on 75
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86855)
• United States
15 Feb
Amazing voice. Unbelievably tragic life.
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8765)
• United States
14 Feb
She was so talented and lovely. It's sad about the heroin.
1 person likes this
