As America’s race problems continue to wage on, some of entertainment’s most sought after musicians have taken it upon themselves to use their talents in an effort to quell the tensions, and bring about piece.
Friday night (November 20) A&E televised their Shining a Light Benefit: A Concert for Progress on Race in America, with performances from Sia, Pharrell and a reciting of Mya Angelou’s classic poem “Still I Rise” by Nicki Minaj. But it was Jill Scott who owned the evening with her mystifying, yet haunting rendition of Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”
Written originally as a poem by former New York City public school teacher Abel Meerpool, Billie Holiday’s version of the 1939 song about the lynching of black men and women would later be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Lady Day, who’s troubled life gave birth to her career would go on to become one of music’s most respected artists.
Watch Jill Scott honor the late singer, while still showcasing her own vocal prowess in the clip below.