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Lena Horne

Lena Horne, the beautiful, elegant, talented singer and actress has become a legend. Her strong sense of her own identity, of justice, and of dignity forced her to struggle against social adversity, and allowed her to triumph. Music is just a part of her story.

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, her parents separated by the time she was three years old, and she lived for several years with her paternal grandparents. Her early life was nomadic: Horne's mother, who was a fairly unsuccessful stage performer, took the young Lena on the road with her, and they lived in various parts of the South before returning to Horne's grandparents' home in Brooklyn in 1931

Horne had early ambitions to be a performer--against the wishes of her family, who believed that she should aspire to greater heights. Nevertheless, Lena persisted, and in 1933 she began her first professional engagement, at the Cotton Club, the famed Harlem nightclub. She sang in the chorus, and though only sixteen years old, held her own among the older and more experienced cast members. She soon left high school to devote herself to her stage career.

In 1934 Horne had a small role in an all-black Broadway show called ‘Dance with Your Gods.’ The next year, she left the Cotton Club and began performing as the featured singer with Noble Sissle's Society Orchestra under the name "Helena Horne," which Sissle thought more glamorous than "Lena." In 1937 Horne quit her tour with the Sissle Orchestra to marry Louis Jones, a friend of her father. During this short and troubled marriage, Horne went to Hollywood to appear in an all-black film called ‘The Duke Is Tops.’ In 1939 she had a role in the musical revue ‘Blackbirds of 1939’ at the Hudson Theatre in New York City; it ran for only eight nights. Before her marriage to Jones ended in divorce, she had two children, Gail and Edwin ("Teddy").

Horne left Jones in 1940, taking a job as a singer with Charlie Barnet's band and going out on tour with him. Horne was the only black member of the ensemble, and the kind of racial discrimination she encountered from audiences, hotel managers, and others was so unsettling that she decided to quit the band. In 1941, she began performing at the Cafe Society Downtown, a club in New York City that catered to intellectuals and social activists, both black and white.At the Cafe Society, Horne learned about black history, politics, and culture and developed a new appreciation for her heritage. From this point on, Horne became a significant voice in the struggle for equality and justice for blacks in America.

The summer of 1941, found Horne moving to California. She was signed by RCA and in December 1941 cut eight songs for her first solo album, “Moanin' Low.” Among its selections were songs she would sing throughout her career, including "Stormy Weather," and "The Man I Love." In 1942, she signed a seven-year contract with MGM--the first black woman since 1915 to sign a term contract with a film studio. Horne appeared in the all-black film musicals ‘Cabin in the Sky’ and ‘Stormy Weather,’ both released in 1943, but she refused to take on any roles that were demeaning to her as a woman of color.."

In the fall of 1947, Horne went to Europe with Lennie Hayton, who was her pianist, arranger, conductor, and manager. They were married in December in Paris because he was white, and interracial marriages were against the law in California. In the early 1950s, Horne, along with many of her colleagues, was a victim of the anti-Communist "witch hunts" that successfully blacklisted performers who were thought to have ties to Communist organizations or activities. The blacklisting hurt Horne's career and kept her from appearing on radio and television. By the mid-1950s, though, Horne was cleared of these charges. In 1956, she signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. Her albums included “Stormy Weather,” “Lena Horne at the Coconut Grove,” and “Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria.” The latter became the best selling recording by a female artist in RCA's history. In 1957 she drew record crowds to the Empire Room of the Waldorf-Astoria, and in 1958 and 1959 she starred in a Broadway musical, "Jamaica."

In the 1960s, Horne was involved in the American civil rights movement, participating in the March on Washington in 1963, performing at rallies in the South and elsewhere, and working on behalf of the National Council for Negro Women She continued to record for RCA, charting with “Lena on the Blue Side” (1962) and “Lena...Lovely and Alive.” (1963). Her records in the mid ‘60’s included, “Lena Sings Your Requests,” “Goes Latin,” “Feelin' Good,” “Lena in Hollywood,” and “Lena Soul.” During the same period she appeared on various television programs, including several performances on the popular Ed Sullivan and Perry Como variety shows, and her own special, “Lena in Concert, in 1969.”

The 1970s began tragically for Horne: her son, Teddy, died of kidney disease in 1970, her father died in the same year, and Lennie Hayton died of a heart attack in 1971. She contemplated retirement. However, the decade offered a variety of opportunities for Horne to perform. She appeared on Broadway with Tony Bennett in 1974 in a show called Tony and Lena and was featured in several television commercials. In 1978, she played the role of Glinda, the Good Witch, in the film version of ‘The Wiz.’

At age sixty three, she mounted a one-woman show that she brought to Broadway. ‘Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music’ opened at the Nederlander Theatre on May 12, 1981, and was an instant hit. Within a month, she was given a special Tony Award marking its success, and the show played 333 performances, the longest run for a one-person production in Broadway history. The double album released by Qwest Records made the pop and R&B charts, and it finally won her a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance; it also took the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album. After the show closed on June 30, 1982, Horne's 65th birthday, she took it on tour around the country and to London through 1984. At the end of the year, she was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement in the arts.

In the fall of 1988, she released, “The Men in My Life,” which made number five in the jazz charts. She was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. In 1994, she did a record for Blue Note under the title “We'll Be Together Again,” and appeared on Frank Sinatra's “Duets II” album, the same year. She performed at Carnegie Hall in September 1994 and the same month recorded a new live album, “An Evening with Lena Horne,” issued by Blue Note in 1995. It reached the Top 20 of the jazz charts and won her the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. In June 1997, her 80th birthday was celebrated by a show at the JVC Jazz Festival and the presentation to her of the Ella Award for Lifetime Achievement in Vocal Artistry. A year later, she released a new Blue Note album, “Being Myself,”(1998) which made the Top Ten of the jazz charts. She came out of retirement to record three songs on “Classic Ellington,” for Blue Note in September 2000.

Her pride in her heritage and her refusal to compromise herself, combined with an innate ability to project elegance, grace, and dignity, have made her a legendary figure. Some observers consider her most important role to be that of a catalyst in the elevation of the status of African Americans in the performing arts. But Horne laments the sluggishness of progress in Hollywood; if given the chance to do it all again, she answered, "I'd be a schoolteacher."
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Save The Country - Songs Celebrating July 4th, New Releases, Birthday Shoutouts and More

by Mary Foster Conklin
July 11, 2022

This broadcast presents new releases from pianist Caili O'Doherty, bassist Michael Fiorino, the Nikos Chatzitsakos Tiny Big Band and a special digital reissue of Salome Bey's debut album, plus birthday shoutouts to Lena Horne, Tierney Sutton, Brandee Younger, Rhoda Scott, Madeline Eastman and Queen Esther, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of pandemic so they can continue to distract, comfort, provoke and inspire.Playlist Wayne Wallace ...

Radio & Podcasts

Struttin With Some Barbeque - Celebrating July 4 with Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne and Friends

by Mary Foster Conklin
July 13, 2020

The Independence Day broadcast included new releases from Jimmy Heath featuring Cecile McLorin Salvant, vocalists Kathleen Grace, Melody Gardot and drummer Jake Reed with birthday shoutouts to Rhoda Scott, Lena Horne, Natalie Cressman and Louis Armstrong (yes we know, it's really in August but he claimed July 4 for his own and who are we to argue) . Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music during this time of lockdown. Playlist ...

466

Book Review

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne

by C. Michael Bailey
October 8, 2009

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne James Gavin Hardcover; 608 pages ISBN: 0743271432 Simon and Schuster 2009...it just keeps rainin' all the time...

If James Gavin's biography of trumpeter Chet Baker, Deep In A Dream (Knopf, 2002), was a study of the slow motion, black hole implosion of a life into addiction and dissolution, then Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne is a survey in the ...

372

Film Review

An Evening with Lena Horne

by Jim Santella
March 11, 2006

Lena Horne An Evening with Lena Horne Blue Note 2006

The sentiment that comes embedded in Lena Horne's classy 1994 concert performance at the Supper Club in New York, is enough to carry the show all by itself. Her magnetic personality gives the cabaret performance a full charge of passion that's complemented by her convincing vocal expressions. She's a born communicator.

This performance was broadcast on the A&E television network ...

263

Album Review

Lena Horne: Seasons of a Life

by Stephen Latessa
June 24, 2005

The recording studio is not always the best place for an artist to showcase their skills. Performers who have achieved their greatest success playing in front of an audience may in fact be unable to duplicate in the sterile confines of the studio that elusive talent that makes them so compelling on stage. Just as the craft of acting for the camera demands a different approach than acting in a theater, so too must a singer adjust when captured on ...

153

Album Review

Lena Horne: Seasons of a Life

by Jim Santella
May 17, 2005

Over seventy for these performances and still swinging, Lena Horne sounds great. She's emotional and somewhat sentimental, but her performances always leave you with the feeling that you've just shared some quality time with an old friend.

Previously unissued, but recorded in 1994-2000 sessions that resulted in Classic Ellington, An Evening With Lena Horne, We'll Be Together Again, the Lulu on the Bridge soundtrack, and Being Myself, this Blue Note compilation carries vintage Lena Horne to its fullest. ...

304

Album Review

Lena Horne: Being Myself

Read "Being Myself" reviewed by AAJ Staff

by AAJ Staff
January 20, 2003

"Come in and join the party," Lena calls, slapping her long fingers on an empty seat.

You best take her invitation, ‘cuz Ms. Horne knows of what she sings. Long-established as a jazz legend, Lena Horne continues her reign as queen of the blue note with her latest Blue Note release. In addition to touching up personal favorites such as "As Long As I Live" (which sparkles as brightly as when Horne performed it live for her classic concert collection ...

Music Industry

Lena Horne: Merry From Lena, 1966

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 7, 2023

Once again, it's that time of year to induct a new entry into the JazzWax Vintage Holiday Album Hall of Fame. This year marks the Hall's 16th season and one of JazzWax's oldest annual traditions. This year's inductee is Merry From Lena, by Lena Horne. Released by United Artists in 1966, the album was produced by Ray Ellis (Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin) and orchestrated and conducted by Jack Parnell. The vocalist was in fine, swinging form. Now meet the ...
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170

Performance / Tour

Black History Month: Tribute to Lena Horne at Berklee Performance Center in Boston on February 22, Featuring Jo Thompson

Source: MassJazz: Jazz in Massachusetts
February 20, 2011

Jazz musicians, dancers and professors —led by vocalist Jo Thompson—are gathering in Boston for a tribute to Lena Horne—a trailblazer in music,dance, film, human and civil rights. The event takes place on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, at the Berklee Performing Center, located at 136 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston's Back Bay. For directions click here. General admission is $10 and tickets can be ordered online. The show begins at 8:15 p.m. Along with this all-star big band concert, the tribute includes ...
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223

TV / Film

Turner Classic Movies to Pay Tribute to Singer-Actress Lena Horne Friday, May 21

Source: CHC Network
May 12, 2010

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will dedicate the Friday, May 21, primetime lineup to paying tribute to legendary singer-actress Lena Horne, who passed away yesterday at the age of 92.

The nights collection will feature three films with defining Horne performances. Also included is one of Hornes favorite films, the 1943 John Garfield drama The Fallen Sparrow.

8 p.m. The Duke is Tops (1938), Hornes film debut, featuring performances of the songs I Know You Remember and ...
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174

Performance / Tour

An Appreciation: Lena Horne

Source: Michael Ricci
May 11, 2010

Toward the end of her very full life, Lena Horne suggested to a PBS interviewer that, after decades of struggling to define her image as an artist and a black woman, she finally had seized possession of her identity. “I don't have to be a symbol to anybody," said Horne, who died Sunday night in a New York hospital at the age of 92. “I no longer have to be a 'credit.' “ Americans born before 1960 will recognize Horne's ...
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227

Book / Magazine

Lena Horne Biography Tells of a Star Shaped by Rejection, Racism

Source: Michael Ricci
May 11, 2010

'Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne' by James Gavin reveals a woman whose life reflects the civil rights struggles of the times.

According to James Gavin's new biography, “Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne," the legendary singer-actress was never comfortable being an icon. “As I say in the introduction of my book, icons are not allowed to be human beings," explains Gavin, a lifelong fan who interviewed Horne in 1994. “Once you step up on that pedestal . ...
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188

Obituary

Lena Horne Singer and Civil Rights Activist Who Broke Barriers

Source: Michael Ricci
May 11, 2010

Horne achieved a place in the pantheon of female jazz vocalists and broke ground in Hollywood as an African American star in the '40s. She also won acclaim on Broadway and as a cabaret performer.

On screen, on records and in nightclubs and concert halls, Horne was at home vocally with a wide musical range, from blues and jazz to the sophistication of Rodgers and Hart. “Stormy Weather" was Lena Horne's signature song as well as a chillingly apt metaphor ...
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106

Radio

Music Choice Airs Tribute to Lena Horne

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Music Choice, the multi-platform video and music network, will celebrate the life of singer/dancer/actress LENA HORNE through May 18th on its SINGERS & SWING Audio Music Channel. Horne will be featured at the top of the hour during the Singers segment at 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 1pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm, 9pm 10pm, 2am, 3am, 4am, & 5am. In addition, the attached panel will be airing on the station as a tribute. Horne is one of the most popular African American ...
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144

Obituary

Lena Horne, Singer and Actress, Dies at 92

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Lena Horne, who was the first black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She was 92 and lived in Manhattan. Her death was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley. Ms. Horne might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early, and languished at ...
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100

Obituary

Legendary Singer Lena Horne Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Lena Horne, the enchanting jazz singer and actress who reviled the bigotry that allowed her to entertain white audiences but not socialize with them, slowing her rise to Broadway superstardom, died Sunday. She was 92. Horne died at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, according to hospital spokeswoman Gloria Chin. Chin would not release any other details. Horne, whose striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal often overshadowed her sultry voice, was remarkably candid about the underlying reason for her success. “I was unique in ...
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155

Recording

Lena Horne Sings: The M-G-M Singles Collection on Hip-O Select

Source: Michael Ricci
May 10, 2010

Hip-oSelect.com, under its Verve Select imprint, proudly announces the release of Lena Horne Sings: The M-G-M Singles Collection, a 16-track set that is just what the title claims: the first-ever retrospective of Ms. Hornes classic, classy singles on M-G-M Records, including her chart single Deed I Do, with most tracks on CD for the first time. James Gavin, author of the acclaimed biography Stormy Weather: The Life Of Lena Horne, co-produced the set and wrote its liner notes. (Stormy Weather ...
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