Lena Horne

Lena Horne
Studio publicity still · Public domain · source
Name	Lena Horne
Caption	Horne in 1950.
Birth name	Lena Mary Calhoun Horne
Birth date	30 June 1917
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Death date	09 May 2010
Death place	New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer, actress, dancer, activist
Years active	1933–2000
Spouse	Louis Jordan Jones (1937–1944), Lennie Hayton (1947–1971)

Lena Horne. Lena Horne was an American singer, actress, and dancer who became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry and a respected voice in the Civil Rights Movement. Her career, spanning over six decades, was marked by both her immense artistic talent and her principled stand against racial discrimination, making her a symbol of dignity and progress during a turbulent era in American history.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn in 1917 into a family with a mixed heritage of African-American, Native American, and European-American ancestry. Her early life was marked by instability; her parents, Edwin Fletcher Horne Jr. and Edna Louise Scottron, separated when she was three. She was primarily raised by her grandmother, Cora Calhoun Horne, a noted suffragist and civil rights activist in Brooklyn. This early exposure to activism profoundly influenced her worldview. To escape the pressures of her grandmother's strict household, Horne began her performing career at age 16 at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem, a venue known for its African-American entertainers but segregated audience. There, she performed in the chorus line alongside future stars like Cab Calloway and developed her skills as a vocalist. Her talent soon led to touring with bands, including Noble Sissle's orchestra, which provided her first major professional experience.

Hollywood Stardom and Racial Barriers

Horne's striking beauty and vocal prowess brought her to Hollywood in the early 1940s, where she signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This made her one of the first African-American performers to secure a long-term studio contract. However, her roles were severely limited by the Hays Code and pervasive Jim Crow attitudes. Studios, fearing backlash from Southern audiences, often edited her scenes so they could be easily cut for screenings in the American South. She was typically cast in standalone musical numbers in films like *Panama Hattie* (1942) and *Cabin in the Sky* (1943), where she did not interact romantically with white actors. Her most significant film role was in *Stormy Weather* (1943), which featured an all-Black cast including Bill Robinson. Frustrated by these barriers, Horne increasingly focused on her highly successful career as a nightclub performer, becoming a major draw at prestigious venues like the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

Activism in the Civil Rights Movement

Horne's experiences with institutional racism fueled a lifelong commitment to the Civil Rights Movement. During World War II, she performed for troops with the USO but vehemently protested the U.S. military's policy of segregation, once walking out of a show when she saw that German prisoners of war were seated ahead of African-American soldiers. She was a visible and outspoken supporter of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women, and the Urban League. Horne worked closely with key figures like Eleanor Roosevelt, Paul Robeson, and Medgar Evers, and she participated in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Her activism came at a professional cost; she was blacklisted for a period during the McCarthy era due to her associations and leftist political views. She viewed her career not just as entertainment but as a platform to advance the cause of racial equality and American values of fairness.

Later Career and Artistic Legacy

In the latter part of her career, Horne reinvented herself as a consummate cabaret and recording artist. Her 1981 one-woman Broadway show, *Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music*, was a monumental critical and commercial success, earning her a special Tony Award and two Grammy Awards for the cast album. This triumph cemented her status as an entertainment legend. She continued to record acclaimed albums, such as *The Weill Album* (1994), and made television appearances on programs like *The Cosby Show* and *A Different World*. Her artistic legacy is defined by her sophisticated vocal style, which blended jazz, pop, and traditional pop standards, influencing generations of performers including Natalie Cole and Audra McDonald. The Library of Congress selected her recording of "Stormy Weather" for the National Recording Registry for its cultural significance.

Personal Life and Family

Horne's personal life was complex and often challenging. Her first Grammy Award|Grammy Award for the cast album. She also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. In 1994, she was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 1999, she was awarded the NAACP's prestigious Spingarn Medal. The ASCAP foundation established the Lena Horne Prize for artists who create work|work of social justice. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her induction into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame further attest to her enduring impact on American culture.

Awards and Honors

Throughout her life, Horne received the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her 1981 show. She also received the ASCAP foundation established the Lena Horne Prize for artists who create work of social justice. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her induction into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame further attest to her enduring impact on American culture.