“You have to be taught to be second class, you’re not born that way,” a profound statement by the ultra-talented singer, actress, activist Lena Horne. Lena Horne is known as one of the most famous black entertainers of the twentieth century, who broke new ground for black performers when she signed a long-term contract with MGM (a major Hollywood studio) and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer. Her stunning beauty, innate elegance, and stellar stage charisma made her a worldwide superstar, having performed in concert halls, on television, in movies, nightclubs and on the radio. She became one of the first African Americans to cross the music-business color divide, sharing stages with Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Billy Eckstine, and many other legends of American music during her long and varied career.
Lena Horne was also known for her work with civil rights groups and refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women. As an anti-racist activist, she refused to appear before racially segregated US Army audiences in World War II, while touring Army camps for the U.S.O. Lena was outspoken in her criticism of the way black soldiers were treated. Her progressive political beliefs, led her to be blacklisted in the 1950s. Nearly 30 years later, her career re-emerged as she appeared in “The Wiz” (1978) and conquered Broadway with a one-woman show, “The Lady and Her Music” in 1981. In 2010, Lena Horne passed away on Mothers Day at the age of 92.
Birthdate: June 30, 1917
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Death: May 9, 2010
Place of Death: Manhattan, New York
NOTABLE WORKS:
- Panama Hattie (1942, film)
- Cabin in the Sky (1943, film)
- Stormy Weather (1943, film)
- Broadway Rhythm (1944, film)
- Words and Music (1948, film)
- The Wiz (1978, film)
- “Stormy Weather” (1943, song)
- “One For My Baby, and One More For The Road” (1945, song)
- “Deed I Do” (1948, song)
- “Love Me Or Leave Me” (1955, song)
- Moanin’ Low (1942, album)
- Classics in Blue (1947, album)
- Lena Horne Sings (1953, album)
- It’s Love (1955, album)
- Jamaica (1957, album)
- Stormy Weather (1957, album)
- I Feel So Smoochie (1958, album)
AWARDS & HONORS:
3 Grammy Awards and 5 Nominations
2 Emmy Awards
NAACP Image Award Recipient
Kennedy Center Honoree
Honorary Doctorate- Howard University
Star on the Walk of Fame
Tony Award Winner
AAFCA Legacy Award
ACE Award Nominee
RECREATE CREDITS:
ReCreate Model: Tyamica Mabry
Background Models: Clement Mallory, Candy Tidwell
Photographer: Jasmine Mallory
SOURCES:
nytimes,com
imdb.com
en.wikipedia.org
biography.com
theguardian.com
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