Here's a story Josh White told me fifty years ago--Swear to God--as best I recall.

Billie H considered "Strange Fruit" HER song. While she and Josh were appearing together--I think he said in Chicago but it might well have been Cafe Society in Greenwhich Village--he was also featuring the song in his act. He said he tried not to sing the song in any of his sets that followed hers where she featured the song. One night, she cornered him on the steps outside the club and pulled a knife on him and told him he had to stop singing that song because it belonged to HER.
Josh Told Billie that he would continue to sing the song as long as people were being lynched and mistreated, and she could do whatever she had to do.
The subject was dropped and Josh continued to do the song in his own sets. Josh's version with chords is featured in THE JOSH WHITE SONG BOOK.