Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Later she returned to Brooklyn. It was While Horne might not have shared that much about her civil rights work, she left her granddaughter with a powerful lesson about social justice. She was to act in only one other movie: In 1978 she played Glinda the Good Witch in The Wiz, the film version of the all-black Broadway musical based on The Wizard of Oz. But she never stopped singing. 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." Grandma was marketed as a unicorn, but she wasn't and refused to be. ''The. Lennie Hayton (December 14, 1947 - April 24, 1971) (his death) Louis . 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. Lena Horne Facts. Edwin Horne was a teacher, a newspaperman, a drugstore proprietor and a politician. politics, and culture and developed a new appreciation of her heritage. "The murder of people of color is the open secret of the United States of America," Lumet added. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. I hope I gave her something in return because her life was not a safe life.". She achieved stardom on the nightclub circuit as a singer of blues and ballads, enhanced by her radiant beauty, vibrant voice, and charismatic qualities. very visible on television, appearing on popular variety shows and in Ms. Horne was stuffed into one all-star film musical after another Thousands Cheer (1943), Broadway Rhythm (1944), Two Girls and a Sailor (1944), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), Words and Music (1948) to sing a song or two that, she later recalled, could easily be snipped from the movie when it played in the South, where the idea of an African-American performer in anything but a subservient role in a movie with an otherwise all-white cast was unthinkable. She was featured in Life magazine and became the highest-paid Black entertainer at the time. Americans in the United States. The N.A.A.C.P. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1917. Try again later. Failed to delete memorial. Horne left school at age 16 to help support her ailing mother and became a dancer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Until his Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. They had no children and the couple separated after 15 years of marriage. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. "She wasn't allowed to be an artist in the beginning," Lumet said. The union was significantly impacted by racial prejudice, and they separated in the 1960s but never divorced. In 1969, she returned briefly to films, playing the love interest of a white actor, Richard Widmark, in Death of a Gunfighter.. All four of her grandparents were industrious members of Brooklyns black middle class. (One number she shot for that film, Aint It the Truth, which she sang while taking a bubble bath, was deleted before the film was released not for racial reasons, as her stand-alone performances in other MGM musicals sometimes were, but because it was considered too risqu. Lena Horne Facts. Swing Fever Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League (a group that Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. 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 career received an immediate boost from Though she toured with Tony Bennett in 1973 and 1974 and made some television appearances, she spent several years in deep mourning and was less visible. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. After they died, Horne lived with a friend of her mother's, I was their daydream. She then focused on her recording career. GREAT NEWS! Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. attended the Ethical Cultural School, the Girls High School, and a This was not quite true: as Mr. Gavin has documented, she appeared frequently on Your Show of Shows and other television shows in the 1950s, and in fact found more acceptance on television than almost any other black performer. And Mr. Gavin and others have suggested that there were other factors in addition to politics or race involved in her lack of film work. She broke through racial barriers as the first black performer to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. 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. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. "(I'm) pretty sure she would have liked if the women of the movement had had a bigger voice in the March on Washington. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. positions in organizations such as the National Association for the When she was seven, her mother returned and the two traveled around the state which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools. Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. Ms. Horne was raised by her paternal grandparents until her mother took her back four years later. Showing Editorial results for family and friends attend services for entertainer lena horne. '', What the trunk also contained was the fragmented structure of a book. 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. attended various small-town, segregated (separated by race) "She was Walter White and Paul Robeson's test case," explained Buckley. I dont want her in the movies playing maids.. Horne nonetheless continued to be a force when it came to her singing career, as seen with albums like It's Love (1955) and Stormy Weather (1957). ", Astrological Sign: Cancer, Death Year: 2010, Death date: May 9, 2010, Death State: New York, Death City: New York, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Lena Horne Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/lena-horne, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: March 26, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. While Lumet, who's developing a limited series for Showtime about Horne, has "great pride" in her grandmother's work, she added, "All this extraordinary stuff, it doesn't necessarily exist around the dinner table." This account has been disabled. A long run at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel nightclub in 1943 gave Hornes career a boost. Sometimes Miss Horne lived with her, other times with her grandmother Cora, or other relatives. Username and password are case sensitive. She released an album, We'll Be Together Again, in 1993 -- and paired with Frank Sinatra for a recording of "Embraceable You." Panama Hattie was signed to a seven-year contract with the movie studio Metro Goldwyn Not long after her parents divorced, she was left in the care of her grandparents while her mother, a stage actress, pursued her career. entertainment manager John Hammond, who got her a long engagement at the I wasnt born a singer, she told Strayhorns biographer, David Hajdu. ''There were photographs, letters, bills, notes, letters, including one from Benjamin Harrison, speakeasy tickets, gambling receipts, college diplomas. Its taken me 40-some-odd years to grow comfortable with this song ["Stormy Weather"]. Blackbirds of 1940, end discrimination based on race). Prior to that, Buckley explains, roles for black actors in Hollywood were limited to domestic servants or jungle extras. This is a carousel with slides. I dont have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped Id become. America Salutes Richard Rodgers: The Sound of His Music (1976), https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/lena-horne-6560.php, American Female Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. Movement. When she first read the manuscript, she wept. During the same period, she was also Many in the industry believed that this It's not better, it's just different.". Hamlisch at the Westbury (New York) Music Fair. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. After a failed attempt to make it big as an actress on her own, Edna Louise ScottronLena . manager. She was not dark enough in color to Lumet recalled that after Horne left hotels, staff would sometimes burn the sheets. The ban had eased by the mid-1950s, and Horne returned to the screen in the 1956 comedy Meet Me in Las Vegas, though she would not act in another film for more than a decade. ''That comes through to me more than the show business, and I know it must have been hard for Gail to have had a mother who most of the time wore another hat. 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. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. 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. Entertainer. was mainly raised by her grandparents, Cora Calhoun and Edwin Horne. Barnet Orchestra. Her mother left later in order to find work as an actress and Lena was left in the care of her grandparents. Gail Lumet Buckley (left) and her mother, Lena Horne, at an awards ceremony in 1987. suffered many humiliations of racial prejudice, especially from hotels After making her Broadway debut in the fall 1934 production Dance With Your Gods, she joined Noble Sissle & His Orchestra as a singer, using the name Helena Horne. She did not complete school and discontinued her formal education at the age of 18. In 1947 she married a white bandleader, Lennie Hayton, a marriage that I'm free. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. I am a Black woman. Horne was married to Louis Jones from 1937 to 1944, and they had two children. depression from which she emerged seemingly more determined than ever. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. I no longer have to be a 'credit.' She is a true legend of all kind. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne, Helena Horne Birth Place Brooklyn, New York, USA Born June 30, 1917 Died May 09, 2010 Biography Read More One of the greatest American artists of all time, Lena Horne endured more than her fair share of "Stormy Weather" as the title of her 1943 film and sultry signature song implied. 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. . They said, 'You're trying to take work away from us. Lena Horne was the first African-American woman to sign a long term contract with a major Hollywood studio - MGM. From the age of 5 onwards she started living with different relatives; starting with his mother in Georgia and then from the age of 10 till 12 she stayed with Frank Horne, her uncle. In 1970 and 1971, Hornes son, father and brother died. Ms. Horne in 1981 after she won two Grammy awards for Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.. Her son died of kidney failure in 1970; her husband died the following year. I no longer have to be a credit. I dont have to be a symbol to anybody; I dont have to be a first to anybody. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. refused to appear before racially segregated US Army audiences in World War II Italy--since the army was officially segregated, the policy was to have one show solely for white troops and another show solely for black troops. ). Horne was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. Death of a Gunfighter. her own special, There are a lot of interesting things in there. Her ancestral plantation was where they just put the new Coweta County Justice Center in downtown Newnan GA. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. I was unique in that I was a kind of black that white people could At the age of 12 in 1929, Horne moved to New York with his mother and attended a school in Brooklyn which was simply named the Girls High School. Blackbirds of 1939 The Lena and Judy Show Horne and Judy Garland had many things in common: a long tenure at MGM, a mentor and vocal coach in Kay Thompson, andsome saidan intimate relationship with Vincente. "He said, 'I can afford to hire a maid for my daughter. Im me, and Im like nobody else., Lena Horne, Singer and Actress, Dies at 92, https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/arts/music/10horne.html. She also assisted Eleanor Roosevelt (18841962) in her She was a lifelong liberal Democrat. But it also, as Mrs. Buckley put it, sheds light on ''America's historic family secret, the story of black life that has never been told: that of the typical black middle-class family, the black bourgeoisie. While at MGM, her appearances in movies were shot so that they could be June 30, 1917. (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.) Shortly after signing her contract, Horne screen-tested for her first film role: a maid. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Lena Horne died on May 9, 2010, in Manhattan. the United States), she used her own money to travel and entertain the At 19, Ms. Horne married the first man she had ever dated, 28-year-old Louis Jones, and became a conventional middle-class Pittsburgh wife. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lena Horne (52189627)? Miss Lena Horne, as she was usually billed, was a walking and singing self-contradiction. The show won a Drama Desk Award and a special Tony, as well as two Grammys for its soundtrack. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a banker/professional gambler and an actress. My identity is very clear to me now. The Hornes were an established middle class See how this article appeared when it was originally published on NYTimes.com. Horne also published her own memoir, Lena, in 1965. ", "Young people moving and walking and marching would thrill her," Lumet said. The map below shows the places where the ancestors of the famous person lived. Her return to movies was on a grander scale. Lena Horne began performing at Harlem's white-dominated Cotton Club when she was 16 years old. But as the group's only black member she DEATH DATE May 9, 2010 (age 92) #24911 Most Popular. 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. 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. 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. ", Ms. Horne first achieved fame in the 1940s, became a nightclub and recording star in the 1950s and made a triumphant return to the spotlight with a one-woman Broadway show in 1981. Laura Rollock. Two years later she featured in shorter movie known as Boogie Woogie Dream. '', 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. "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.". "It was an extraordinarily safe feeling being with her and being on her lap. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. She Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, NY. Both parents had a mixed heritage of African American, European American and Native American descent. She became the first African American to be a part of the roster of a major studio in Hollywood and that opened the gates for plenty of new talents from the community. (Buckley also chronicles the family's history in her 1986 book, The Hornes.) Her interests include women's health, racial health disparities, mental health and COVID-19. course and at age sixteen was hired to dance in the chorus at Please enter your email and password to sign in. She is survived by her daughter Gail Lumet Buckley, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Given these harsh limitations imposed on African Americans in 1930s and She was also known for her work with civil rights groups and refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women, a stance that many found controversial. at rallies in the South and elsewhere, and worked on behalf of the Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He insisted that Arthur Freed, the producer of MGMs lavish musicals, listen to Ms. Horne sing. When she was 3 years old, her father left the family. on behalf of Japanese Americans who faced discrimination. Horne died of heart failure on May 9, 2010, in New York City. They were slaves on the Dr A B Calhoun plantation. Billy Strayhorn, at the JVC Jazz Festival. "Take scissors and snip snip when it got south of the Mason-Dixon Line. in 1969. Harlem on Parade Lena: A Biography of Lena Horne. got mad, she recalled. i like the page because it has a bunch of things that i didnt know. She was not the first black performer under contract to a major studio MGM had signed the actress Nina Mae McKinney for five years in 1929 but she was the first to make an impact. Anyone can read what you share. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Her death, at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley.
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