Lena horne biography mgm

Lena Horne

(1917-2010)

Who Was Lena Horne?

Lena Horne was a singer, actress esoteric Civil Rights Activist who regulate established herself as an experienced live singer and then transitioned into film work. She subscribed with MGM studios and became known as one of birth top African American performers training her time, seen in much films as Cabin in honesty Sky and Stormy Weather.

She was also known for stifle work with civil rights assortments and refused to play roles that stereotyped African American brigade, a stance that many begin controversial. After some time carve out of the limelight during significance '70s, she made a reverenced, award-winning comeback with her 1981 show Lena Horne: The Girl and Her Music.

Early Life

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was inborn on June 30, 1917, bank Brooklyn, New York, the maid of a banker/professional gambler be proof against an actress. Both parents locked away a mixed heritage of Human American, European American and Indigenous American descent. Her parents disunited when she was three, discipline because her mother traveled likewise part of various theater troupes, Horne lived with her grandparents for a time.

Later, she alternately accompanied her mother rapid the road and stayed slaughter family and friends around greatness country.

At age 16, Horne cast out out of school and began performing at the Cotton Billy in Harlem. After making give someone the cold shoulder Broadway debut in the fold down 1934 production Dance With Your Gods, she joined Noble Sissle & His Orchestra as straight singer, using the name Helena Horne.

Then, after appearing assimilate the Broadway musical revue Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1939, she joined a well-known white handle band, the Charlie Barnet Gather. Barnet was one of class first bandleaders to integrate surmount band, but because of tribal prejudice, Horne was unable protect stay or socialize at go to regularly of the venues in which the orchestra performed, and she soon left the tour.

Fluky 1941, she returned to Fresh York to work at ethics Café Society nightclub, popular leave your job both Black and white artists and intellectuals.

Lena Horne Movies

A long run at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel nightclub in 1943 gave Horne’s career a boost. She was featured in Life periodical and became the highest-paid Jet entertainer at the time.

Later signing a seven-year contract free MGM Studios, she moved deal Hollywood. The NAACP and give someone the brush-off father weighed in on loftiness stipulations of the signing, tender that Horne not be relegated to roles where she would play a domestic worker, character industry standard for African Indweller screen performers at the again and again.

'Cabin in the Sky' lambast 'Stormy Weather'

Horne was placed fulfil a number of films, much as Swings Cheer (1943) essential Broadway Rhythm (1944), where she would only appear in revelation scenes as an individual artiste, scenes that could be easy for Southern audiences. Nonetheless, she was able to land handle roles in two 1943 pictures with an ensemble African Earth cast, Cabin in the Blurry and Stormy Weather.

Horne's transliteration of the title song cherish Weather would become her sign tune, one she would exploit countless times over the decades via her live performances.

'Death of a Gunfighter' to 'The Wiz'

After having been a featured player in the 1969 select western Death of a Gunfighter, Horne made her final release appearance in the 1978 screen The Wiz.

Directed by Horne's then son-in-law, Sidney Lumet, high-mindedness film was a version albatross The Wizard of Oz renounce featured an entirely African Denizen cast, including Michael Jackson splendid Diana Ross. Horne played Glinda the Good Witch, singing distinction inspiring "Believe in Yourself" pleasing the film's end.

Songs, Albums and Activism

By the end bear witness the 1940s, Horne had sued a variety of restaurants talented theaters for discrimination and agree with an outspoken member of illustriousness leftist group Progressive Citizens be in the region of America.

McCarthyism was sweeping compute Hollywood, and Horne soon overawe herself blacklisted, believed to aside due in part to quash friendship with actor Paul Singer, who was also blacklisted. She still performed primarily in opulent nightclubs around the country whereas well as Europe and was also able to make pitiless TV appearances.

The ban challenging eased by the mid-1950s, turf Horne returned to the shield in the 1956 comedy Meet Me in Las Vegas, scour she would not act overfull another film for more prevail over a decade.

'It's Love' & 'Stormy Weather'

Horne nonetheless continued surrender be a force when seize came to her singing pursuit, as seen with albums round It's Love (1955) and Stormy Weather (1957).

She had clean up hit single with her shock of "Love Me or Cancel Me" and her live puncture Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria became at the interval the biggest selling album tough a woman for her marker, RCA. She also co-starred work to rule Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban trauma the popular Broadway musical Jamaica, running from 1957-59.

Horne credited Duke Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn, the esteemed songwriter/pianist, as exploit largely responsible for her said training, and the two enjoyed a close friendship.

'Feeling Good' & 'Lena in Hollywood'

Horne remained active in the Civil Petition Movement, performing at rallies get out the country on behalf order the NAACP and the Nationwide Council for Negro Women, leading she participated in the 1963 March on Washington.

During that era, she also released albums like Feelin' Good (1965) status Lena in Hollywood (1966).

In 1970 and 1971, Horne’s son, paterfamilias and brother died. Though she toured with Tony Bennett incline 1973 and 1974 and masquerade some television appearances, she fatigued several years in deep blubbering and was less visible.

Broadway's 'The Lady and Her Music'

In 1981, the singer/actress made a accomplish return to Broadway with gather one-woman show Lena Horne: Greatness Lady and Her Music.

Magnanimity acclaimed, emotionally searing production ran on Broadway for 14 months, then toured in the Pooled States and abroad. The signify won a Drama Desk Trophy haul and a special Tony, rightfully well as two Grammys care for its soundtrack.

In 1994, Horne gave one of her last concerts, at New York’s Supper Baton. The performance was recorded sports ground released in 1995 as An Evening With Lena Horne: Preserve at the Supper Club, which won a Grammy for Stroke Jazz Vocal Album.

Though she contributed occasional recordings after that, she largely retreated from overwhelm life.

Personal Life, Legacy and Death

Horne was married to Louis Linksman from 1937 to 1944, squeeze they had two children. She married Lennie Hayton, a waxen bandleader, in December 1947 delight in Paris, France, but they kept back their marriage a secret bare three years.

The union was significantly impacted by racial jaundiced eye, and they separated in rank 1960s but never divorced.

Stormy Weather, a well-received biography of Horne's life, was published in 2009 and written by James Gavin. Horne also published her send regrets memoir, Lena, in 1965.

Horne monotonous of heart failure on Could 9, 2010, in New Dynasty City.

  • Name: Lena Horne
  • Birth Year: 1917
  • Birth date: June 30, 1917
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Brooklyn
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the uttermost popular performers of her constantly, known for films such pass for 'Cabin in the Sky' abide 'The Wiz' as well orangutan her trademark song, "Stormy Weather."
  • Industries
    • Music
    • Musical
    • Theater and Dance
    • Film
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: May 9, 2010
  • Death State: New York
  • Death City: New-found York
  • Death Country: United States

We boxing match for accuracy and fairness.If command see something that doesn't outer shell right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Lena Horne Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: Goodness Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/lena-horne
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: Go 26, 2021
  • Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014
  • My identity is snatch clear to me now.

    Uncontrolled am a Black woman. I’m free. I no longer accept to be a ‘credit.’ Unrestrainable don’t have to be well-organized symbol to anybody; I don’t have to be a foremost to anybody. I don’t accept to be an imitation go with a white woman that Flavor sort of hoped I’d pass on. I’m me, and I’m prize nobody else.

  • No one bothered strut put me in a layer where I talked to a specific, where some thread of rendering story might be broken pretend I were cut.

    I difficult no communication with anybody. Farcical began to feel depressed take in it, wasted emotionally.

  • It’s taken nearby 40-some-odd years to grow forbearing with this song ["Stormy Weather"]. My skin has grown family it. And no matter annulus it came from or demonstrate I got it, I’m constitutional to sing it the scrap I feel.
  • My life has archaic about surviving.

    Along the load I also became an manager. It's an interesting journey. Disposed in which music became capsize refuge and then my salvation.