Ms. Horne was raised by her paternal grandparents until her mother took her back four years later. In 1999 she was honored at the Although she had an outstanding career in Hollywood, it was much later in life that she produced her best work. '', What the trunk also contained was the fragmented structure of a book. Lena Horne Facts | Mental Floss Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League (a group that to compromise herself, and her innate elegance, grace, and dignity has Horne There was an error deleting this problem. Buckley's book, The Hornes: An American Family, charts her family's roots. Writing the book, she said, ''made me feel two things I have never felt before: incredibly American and incredibly black, and there is nothing else that I could possibly be.''. Oops, something didn't work. It was indeed a momentous occasion as Horne became the first black person to have represented a Hollywood studio of that size. https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/20/style/born-in-a-trunk-the-story-of-the-hornes.html. and restaurants that catered exclusively to whites. Horne's life started before women had the right to vote, and a year before she died in 2010, she got to see a Black man, Barack Obama, become president of the United States, Lumet noted. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Laura Rollock. 1931. Cafe Society that Horne learned about African American history, I was their daydream. She doesn't need to play a maid,' " said Buckley. My family had gospel singers. Lena Horne, born in 1917, was a famous singer and civil rights activist who famously attended the March on Washington and refused to perform for segregated audiences of troops during World War II. worked to increase the economic and political power of minorities and to See the article in its original context from. New York City's Avery Fisher Hall with an all-star salute. Try again. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a banker/professional gambler and an actress. "She said, 'He's too thin, and I hope they don't shoot him.' Coretta Scott Kings granddaughter Yolanda Renee King discusses her legacy. positions in organizations such as the National Association for the She had a hit single with her version of "Love Me or Leave Me" and her live set Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria became at the time the biggest selling album by a woman for her label, RCA. Thanks for your help! Failed to delete memorial. After Horne was placed in a number of films, such as Swings Cheer (1943) and Broadway Rhythm (1944), where she would only appear in singing scenes as an individual performer, scenes that could be cut for Southern audiences. Try again later. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. She signed with MGM studios and became known as one of the top African American performers of her time, seen in such films as Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. I have been in love with "Lena Horn", since I was twelve years old, after I saw the movie "Stormy Weather", and for the next twelve years, most of my girl friends had to look a little bit like her. They were slaves on the Dr A B Calhoun plantation. I am a 51 yr old woman that grew up watching the wonderful old movies. accept. daughter, Gail, and a son, Edwin (they separated in ", The palpable anger among today's activists would also please Horne because "Grandma had to hide her anger," Lumet said. Until his Ms. Horne kept Gail, but Mr. Jones refused to give up Teddy, although he did allow the boy long visits with his mother. Horne finally got to experience a bit of catharsis, Lumet said, in her one-woman show, which premiered in 1981 and ran for 14 months. During her MGM contract, Horne performed in Panama Hattie, Stormy Weather and a number of MGM musicals, including Cabin in the Sky. Cora Calhoun Horne's roots were in the family Lena Horne's daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, has chronicled in her book The Black Calhouns.These well-educated bourgeois African Americans were descended from a nephew of secessionist vice president John C. Calhoun. "I knew her first as a grandma before I understood her as an activist, and that was not something that she necessarily brought home," she explained. '', Indeed there were, Mrs. Buckley recalled yesterday during a joint interview with Miss Horne in a midtown office building. No substitutions whatsoever. But her career, which spanned more than 60 years and consisted of mainly bit parts, ended on a high note: In 1981, she received a Tony Award for her one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The. During the 1950s and 1960s, she performed on numerous TV programs, including "Your Show of Shows," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and "The Judy Garland Show." TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria, recorded during a well-received eight-week run in 1957, reached the Top 10 and became the best-selling album by a female singer in RCA Victors history. Lena Horne, in full Lena Calhoun Horne, (born June 30, 1917, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.died May 9, 2010, New York City), American singer and actress who first came to fame in the 1940s. Meet Me in Las Vegas This is just a little unknown tea. All Rights Reserved. at the JVC Jazz Festival with a tribute concert and the Ella Award for This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. I had the worst kind of acceptance They said, 'You're trying to take work away from us. The only time I ever said a word to another actor who was white was Kathryn Grayson in a little segment of Show Boat included in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), a movie about the life of Jerome Kern, Ms. Horne said in an interview in 1990. Horne shares a laugh with Lumet and actor Laurence Fishburne at a gala honoring Horne at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City in 1999. Im me, and Im like nobody else. As Thousands Cheer The acclaimed, emotionally searing production ran on Broadway for 14 months, then toured in the United States and abroad. because of the way I looked. Throughout her career, she was a passionate advocate for civil rights. . In a message of condolence, President Obama said Ms. Horne had "worked tirelessly to further the cause of justice and equality. Her scenes were often filmed separately, so that they could be completely cut out of movies screened in the South. Lena Horne Wiki, Biography, Age, Career, Relationship, Net Worth & Know In the 1940s, Horne became. Lena Horne tea (her kids and grandkids) & how they washed out their The person she always credited as her main influence was not another singer but a pianist and composer, Duke Ellingtons longtime associate Billy Strayhorn. Stormy Weather, a well-received biography of Horne's life, was published in 2009 and written by James Gavin. "And they were bowled over by this. way. "She'll tell you that the anger was something that existed through the '50s and '60s, and even into the '70s in her performances, and the one-woman show was actually a release of so much of (her anger) and a melting of this ice that she had put around herself for what she felt she needed as her own protection.". She was a college graduate, a feminist, a civic leader and a suffragist. Several years ago, Lena Horne asked her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, to store in her basement an old family trunk that had belonged to Miss Horne's father. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. In 1947 she married a white bandleader, Lennie Hayton, a marriage that Today's Pride of Bed-Stuy: Lena Horne | Bed-Stuy, NY Patch "She sang where we (were) not supposed to sing. We'll Be Together Again. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Recalling that Miss Horne's career lacked the family's approval, Mrs. Buckley said, ''The middle class considered show business declasse unless you were a concert performer like Marian Anderson.'' In Charles Whiting's book "The Long March on Rome", he reports that she Ms. Horne is survived by her daughter; Gail Lumet Buckley; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She died on May 9, 2010 in her home in New York. It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it. The constant moving And they said, Youre not going to be allowed to go anyplace anymore under our auspices. So from then on I was labeled a bad little Red girl.. A system error has occurred. She broke through racial barriers as the first black performer to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. In 1942, she got her big break when she got the job of being a singer at a famous Hollywood nightclub named Felix Young Little Trot. Her great-grandchildren include Jake Cannavale. What are you trying to do?' Lena Horne Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements racial discrimination (wrongful treatment because of race), and in the She used the word performer, not pianist. Lennie Hayton's death in 1971, which followed the deaths of NBC News' Nancy Dickerson and Horne during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom political rally in Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 1963. See how this article appeared when it was originally published on NYTimes.com. By the end of the 1940s, Horne had sued a variety of restaurants and theaters for discrimination and become an outspoken member of the leftist group Progressive Citizens of America. Gail Lumet Buckley (left) and her mother, Lena Horne, at an awards ceremony in 1987. Edwin "Teddy" Horne, who worked in the gambling trade, She was honored for Lifetime Achievement at the Kennedy Center in 1984, was recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1989, and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist in 1999. Sometimes Miss Horne lived with her, other times with her grandmother Cora, or other relatives. Lumet also sees a "throughline" from her grandmother's work as a musician to female artists today, like Solange Knowles and Lizzo. Horne, despite her great fame, continued to experience humiliating Born Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, her grandparents were active in the NAACP and she was a cover girl for the organization's monthly bulletin at the age of two. her mother and her mother's new husband. Learn more about merges. In a First for Broadway, a Theater Will Be Renamed for Lena Horne From an early age Horne had ambitions of becoming a There will be no more jungle movies. '', As for the next generation, what impressed Mrs. Buckley's daughters, Amy Lumet, 21, and Jenny Lumet, 19 ''Oh that's easy,'' Mrs. Buckley said with a laugh. In 1986, Buckley joined Terry Gross on Fresh Air to trace the Horne family's roots, from slavery in the Deep South to their move north, where they became one of the most prosperous and influential black families in Harlem -- and then west to Hollywood, where Horne began performing on stage and screen. This interview originally aired Nov. 25, 1986. politics, and culture and developed a new appreciation of her heritage. person accused of a crime without a trial). or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. She sang on television, she sang next to Caucasian (people)," Lumet said. should have higher goals. World Music Singer. In 1947, she married musician Lennie Hayton. Feb 3: Brooklyn Black History Maker, Lena Horne - BKReader Are they living together? Horne, who died in 2010 at age 92, was a world-famous, Tony-winning singer also known for her work in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lena Horne I found on Findagrave.com. special Tony award, and the soundtrack won two Grammy awards. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York to Teddy Horne Jr. and Edna Louise Scottron. Broadway Rhythm Dropped out of school and began performing at the Cotton Club in Harlem (age 16). Lena Horne | American singer and actress | Britannica Lena Horne's Story, As Told By Her Daughter | WBUR (Ms. Horne was no longer under contract to MGM at the time, and according to James Gavins Horne biography, Stormy Weather, published last year, she was never seriously considered for the part.) Ms. Horne and Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather. The title song became one of her signatures. '', And then there were Lena Horne's parents, Teddy Horne and Edna Scrotton Horne, who were divorced -considered scandalous in black families in the early 20th century. Not long after her parents divorced, she was left in the care of her grandparents while her mother, a stage actress, pursued her career. But when MGM made Show Boat into a movie for the second time, in 1951, the role of Julie was given to a white actress, Ava Gardner, whose singing voice was dubbed. Dionne Warwick on Lena Horne and her musical influences Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, at rallies in the South and elsewhere, and worked on behalf of the Her parents separated when she was three, and because her mother traveled as part of various theater troupes, Horne lived with her grandparents for a time. Birthplace New York City , NY. Nonetheless, Horne pursued her own "She was a test case for the NAACP which had decided that they were going to change the image of Hollywood. Lena Horn's Great Grandparents, Sini and Henry Reynolds, were brought to Newnan Georgia by Silas Reynolds. New York: Knopf, 1986. All I wanted was to be kept by a very rich man - and what I really wanted was just to be with my father,'' perhaps an oblique explanation of her first marriage to a friend of her father's. provided a permanent legacy. And while she was at it, Miss Horne said, ''You might take a look in it. A man from Maryland who moved to North Carolina and then to Georgia. Both parents had a mixed heritage of African American, European American and Native American descent. She played Glinda the Good Witch in the 1978 film The Wiz . Two Girls and a Sailor cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Verify and try again. ''I was not naturally ambitious,'' she said. day--but especially in the South--would not accept a beautiful black woman She might have become a major movie star, but she was born 50 years too early: she languished at MGM for years because of her race, although she was so light-skinned that when she was a child other black children had taunted her, accusing her of having a white daddy.. hide caption. And you have to do it.' Horne's rendition of the title song for Weather would become her signature tune, one she would perform countless times over the decades via her live performances. She was a lifelong liberal Democrat. Please try again. Showing Editorial results for family and friends attend services for entertainer lena horne. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Known for her signature song, "Stormy Weather," and her civil rights activism, Horne often lamented her exclusion from the ranks of leading stars because of the color of her skin. Blackbirds of 1939 Always be smarter than the people who hire you. Prior to that, Buckley explains, roles for black actors in Hollywood were limited to domestic servants or jungle extras. There is a problem with your email/password. How is her daughter, Gail? ''The. singing roles in But they could put mine., Touring Army camps for the U.S.O., Ms. Horne was outspoken in her criticism of the way black soldiers were treated. Immediately, her father, Teddy Horne -- a notorious gambler who made his money in the 1921 Black Sox scandal -- flew to Hollywood to talk with MGM's management. Wrong username or password. Billy rehearsed me. She was 92. In 1986, Buckley joined Terry Gross on Fresh Air to trace the Horne family's roots, from slavery in the Deep South to . The Hornes owned a four-story residence in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. During this era, she also released albums like Feelin' Good (1965) and Lena in Hollywood (1966). She then focused on her recording career. I am a black woman. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Drag images here or select from your computer for Lena Horne memorial. Looking back at the age of 80, Ms. Horne said: My identity is very clear to me now. June 30, 1917. In her teens, she started singing in New York City's Cotton Club, which had a strictly white audience, and she went on to have a Tony-winning one-woman show, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music," on Broadway in the '80s. the United States), she used her own money to travel and entertain the Haskins, James, and Kathleen Benson. Her death, at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley. (1943), she was given a starring role in an allblack story, However, she continued to work in nightclubs as an entertainer till the ban was lifted in 1956. Lena Horne: A Great Lady Who Broke the Color Line In the year 1981, she produced the Broadway show Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music which went on to win several awards and was extremely successful for more than a year. Her parents separated when she was a child, and she lived with her paternal grandparents and uncle. They had no children and the couple separated after 15 years of marriage. Bennett (1926), and in 1979 she was billed with composer Marvin A long run at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel nightclub in 1943 gave Hornes career a boost. Though she contributed occasional recordings after this, she largely retreated from public life. Search instead in Creative ? He stretched me vocally. Strayhorn occasionally worked as her accompanist and, she said, taught me the basics of music, because I didnt know anything., Strayhorn was also the only man I ever loved, she said, but Strayhorn was openly gay, and their close friendship never became a romance. I dont have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped Id become. But though the family would embody antebellum behavior and solidly middle-class values for many decades, it also included rugged individualists, outspoken civil rights activists, poets, entrepreneurs and politicians. Lena Horne Biography - life, family, story, death, history, school American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer, Born on Saturday, June 30, 1917 The email does not appear to be a valid email address. 2. Although absent from the screen, Ms. Horne found success in nightclubs and on records. Horne's granddaughter, Jenny Lumet, a television showrunner and producer, said the family is delighted with the plan. In 1937 Horne married minor politician Louis Jones, by whom she had a Her father ran a gambling operation and was well off while her mother worked as a theatre actress who performed at theatres all over the United States. Barnet was one of the first bandleaders to integrate his band, but because of racial prejudice, Horne was unable to stay or socialize at many of the venues in which the orchestra performed, and she soon left the tour. Actress (Finished 2010) Singer (Finished 2010) Dancer (Finished 2010) After Lena's parents divorced when she was little, she was primarily raised by her grandmother Cora. Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52189627/lena-horne. Lena Horne with her granddaughter Jenny Lumet at a gala benefit at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, October 1999. When she was seven, her mother returned and the two traveled around the state which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools. DEATH DATE May 9, 2010 (age 92) #24911 Most Popular. Actress and singer Adelaide Hall, who was also a part of the project, became her earliest mentor in the industry. Billy Strayhorn, at the JVC Jazz Festival. I Dood It Her pride in her heritage, her refusal In 1978, she appeared in the film "The Wiz," and won a special Tony Award for her performances in the Broadway production "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" in 1981. A woman of great beauty and Her daughter Gail was born in 1937 and a son, Teddy, in 1940. Maura Hohman is the senior health editor for TODAY.com and has been covering health and wellness news and trends since 2015, when she graduated from journalism school. But as the group's only black member she In a 1997 PBS interview, she recalled: My father said, I can get a maid for my daughter. "It was exciting (for her) and it was terrifying," she remembered. Learn more about managing a memorial . For Horne, the recognition of the Tony mattered much less than the reception. In the 1990s Horne cut back on performing. Members of Lena Horne's family, including her daughter Gail Lumet Buckley and granddaughters Jenny and Amy Lumet, were in attendance. - Yes, my family, my entire family were fans of Lena Horne, and still are. ", "Young people moving and walking and marching would thrill her," Lumet said. During a short time span from 1970 to 1971, she suffered personal tragedies with the deaths of her father, husband, and son, causing her for a period to go into a state of depression. In the mid-1950s Horne made a movie appearance in Please reset your password. Yet, she still moved a great deal in her early years because her mother You can always change this later in your Account settings. was kept secret for three years because of racial pressures. Horne credited Duke Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn, the esteemed songwriter/pianist, as being largely responsible for her vocal training, and the two enjoyed a close friendship. often took her with her on the road. It was not a career that had family approval. During World War II (193945; a war in which Germany, Italy, and During this period, her marriage to Louis Jones (whom she married at age 19 and had a daughter and son) had ended. Resend Activation Email. Movement. Lena Horne began performing at Harlem's white-dominated Cotton Club when she was 16 years old. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. The performance was recorded and released in 1995 as An Evening With Lena Horne: Live at the Supper Club, which won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Lena became a member of the Progressive Citizens of America that was a group known for left wing views and that got her black listed from further work in the movies in the early 1950s. An artist expresses themselves, and she was not fully allowed to do that. There was a problem getting your location. Her son died of kidney failure in 1970; her husband died the following year. left the family when Lena was three. death in 1971, Hayton was also her pianist, arranger, conductor, and And when Ms. Horne herself married a white man the prominent arranger, conductor and pianist Lennie Hayton, who was for many years both her musical director and MGMs the marriage, in 1947, took place in France and was kept secret for three years. In the year 1937, Lena married Luis Jordan Jones at the age of 20 and the couple was blessed with a daughter named Gail and a son named Edwin. This is a carousel with slides. All four of her grandparents were industrious members of Brooklyns black middle class. with an African American theater troupe and traveled extensively. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Horne will forever be remembered as one of the institutions of American entertainment and civil rights movement. The marriage ended soon afterward. I wasnt born a singer, she told Strayhorns biographer, David Hajdu. Lost her father, husband and son in one year. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. She is survived by her daughter; Gail Lumet Buckley; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. entertainers of the twentieth century.
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