RadioOnFire.com - British singer Rebecca Ferguson recently announced that she had been invited to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, and would accept the invitation under one condition: she be allowed to play "Strange Fruit," a song about racism first recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939 and later popularized by Nina Simone in 1965.
The song, originally written by Abel Meeropol, describes the lynchings of black Americans:
Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees
Rebecca Ferguson came onto the music scene in 2010, appearing in the X Factor UK. She took to Twitter to release the following statement about the invitation to perform at Trump's inauguration:
"I've been asked and this is my answer. If you allow me to sing "strange fruit" a song that has huge historical importance, a song that was blacklisted in the United States for being too controversial. A song that speaks to all the disregarded and down trodden black people in the United States. A song that is a reminder of how love is the only thing that will conquer all the hatred in this world, then I will graciously accept your invitation and see you in Washington. Best Rebecca X"
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been having difficulty booking acts for his inauguration. Elton John, Gene Simmons, and Garth Brooks have all declined invitations, and many other major artists were active proponents of Hillary Clinton or do not wish to be aligned with the upcoming Trump presidency.
Source: theguardian.com
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