Andra Day On Portraying BilIie Holiday And The Enduring Strength Of 'Strange Fruit'
The song "Strange Fruit" is the powerful and thematically horrifying centerpiece of the new film The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, which positions music as a powerful force for change.
The song "Strange Fruit" was written by a man named Abel Meeropol in the 1930s — but it will forever be associated with Billie Holiday. The lyrics vividly describe a lynching, and this haunting protest song is central to the new movie The United States Vs. Billie Holiday. The Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day plays the title character. The role is Day's acting debut, but she has already won a Golden Globe for her performance.
"Andra Day'' is actually her stage name, a tribute to Holiday herself: Day has been a fan since she was about 11 years old. The artist grabbed it from "Lady Day," which is a nickname Holiday received from Lester Young, one of her greatest friends. "I love the relationship between her and Lester Young," Days says, "the
