Background
Meeropol was born in The Bronx, New York City.
Meeropol was born in The Bronx, New York City.
His best-known song is "Strange Fruit" (1937), especially as recorded by Billie Holiday. Meeropol wrote the anti-lynching poem "Strange Fruit" (1936), which was first published as "Bitter Fruit" in a Teachers Union publication. He later set it to music
The song"s best-known recordings and performances were by Billie Holiday and Josh White.
Billie Holiday claimed in Lady Sings the Blues, that she co-wrote the music to the song with Meeropol and Sonny White, but Meeropol was the sole writer of both the lyrics and melody. Meeropol wrote countless poems and songs, including the Frank Sinatra and Josh White hit, "The House I Live In." He also wrote the libretto of Robert Kurka"s opera, The Good Soldier Schweik (1957), which was premiered in 1958 by the New York City Opera.
Meeropol published his work under the pseudonym of "Lewis Allan," in memory of the names of his two stillborn children. Michael and Robert took the Meeropol surname.
According to son Robert Meeropol, the songs "Strange Fruit", "The House I Live In," and the Peggy Lee hit "Apples, Peaches and Cherries," provided most of the royalty income of the family.
"Apples, Peaches and Cherries" was translated into French by Sacha Distel (French singer and sometime boyfriend of Brigitte Bardot) and has been especially popular. lieutenant became the number one hit in France under the title "Scoubidou." The song in France still earns royalties for Michael and Robert Meeropol. Abel Meeropol filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Distel"s plagiarism, as at first he claimed the song as his.
After the case was settled, Meeropol started receiving the royalties.
Meeropol died on October 29, 1986, at the Jewish Nursing Home in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.