In the early 1940s, Horne became the first black performer signed to a long-term MGM contract. the highest-paid African American entertainer in the United States. Looking back at the age of 80, Horne said: "My identity is very clear to me now. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Her death, at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was announced by her son-in-law, Kevin Buckley. Horne had two children a son, Teddy Jones, and a daughter, journalist Gail Lumet Buckley, who had Lumet with famed director Sidney Lumet as well as six grandkids. A system error has occurred. Horne compensated, her daughter said, by building a hugely successful nightclub career. During this era, she also released albums like Feelin' Good (1965) and Lena in Hollywood (1966). ''What I love the most about it is the description of the mother-daughter relationship.'' By age seven, her mother had reclaimed her, and, at age 16, Lena (who attended Girls High School in Brooklyn and took dance lessons while there) dropped out of school to join the chorus at the Cotton Club in Harlem. politics, and culture and developed a new appreciation of her heritage. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Palmer, Leslie. Until his 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.. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Horne was mainly raised by her grandparents, Cora Calhoun and Edwin Horne. significant voice in the struggle for equality and justice for African hide caption. I'm free. Her ancestral plantation was where they just put the new Coweta County Justice Center in downtown Newnan GA. part of that movement. person accused of a crime without a trial). 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 lived in various parts of the South before Horne was returned to her grandparents' home in 1931. Given these harsh limitations imposed on African Americans in 1930s and She moved in with her grandparents since her mother was a frequent traveller. So the U.S.O. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Hamlisch at the Westbury (New York) Music Fair. A year after joining the Cotton Club chorus she made her Broadway debut, performing a voodoo dance in the short-lived show Dance With Your Gods in 1934. Today, "people say 'f--- you,' and that's different from, 'We shall overcome.' 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. Horne left Barnet in 1941. It's not better, it's just different.". Her great-grandchildren include Jake Cannavale. I am a Black woman. She returned to the Broadway stage in "Jamaica" (1957 to 1959). Lena Horne: Entertainer. This interview originally aired Nov. 25, 1986. Her pride in her heritage, her refusal cemeteries found in will be saved to your photo volunteer list. She headlined at clubs throughout the United States and Europe -- and guest-starred frequently on TV. 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). Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. Of course the black guys couldnt put Betty Grables picture in their footlockers. I was lucky to have it. Failed to delete flower. 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. Her return to movies was on a grander scale. ''To be equal or even to get a foot in the door, it was necessary to be smarter, faster and brighter than whites - and other blacks. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. I don't think she would be surprised because it only surprises people who've been asleep this whole time.". Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. She still performed primarily in posh nightclubs around the country as well as Europe and was also able to make some TV appearances. ", These moments that you think, Wow, this is history, it was just her life.. Her byline has appeared on TODAY, NBC News, US News & World Report, People, Everyday Health, WhatToExpect.com, History.com and more. Actually show business was not Miss Horne's idea, and she said she had no singing ability but had to be taught. Search instead in Creative ? Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lena Horne (52189627)? I Dood It Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. The marriage ended soon afterward. Dropped out of school and began performing at the Cotton Club in Harlem (age 16). An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. 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. 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. "This was her life, and what it meant to cross the street meant something different for a person of color than for anybody else. Prior to that, Buckley explains, roles for black actors in Hollywood were limited to domestic servants or jungle extras. She was 92. racial discrimination (wrongful treatment because of race), and in the Im free. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. In the year 1920, when Lena Home was only a child of 3, her father left the house and although there was no financial strife, the estrangement with her father at such a young age was an unpleasant experience. (Buckley also chronicles the family's history in her 1986 book, The Hornes.) 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. Many in the industry believed that this This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. In two years at the Cotton Club she appeared with such entertainers as Cab Calloway . Directed by Horne's then son-in-law, Sidney Lumet, the film was a version of The Wizard of Oz that featured an entirely African American cast, including Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. made her a legendary figure. 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. The union was significantly impacted by racial prejudice, and they separated in the 1960s but never divorced. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. She broke through racial barriers as the first black performer to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. whom she had known as a child. After She was spoiled and badly educated and he was fickle, Ms. Hornes daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, wrote in her family history, The Hornes. By 1920 Teddy had left his job with the New York Department of Labor and fled to Seattle, and Edna had fled to a life on the stage in Harlem. released her first album in a decade, She was 92. I am pretty sure she is close knit with Gail and her grandchildren. In Horne's one-woman Broadway show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, she openly discussed the discrimination she faced as a performer in Hollywood. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a banker/professional gambler and an actress. And you have to do it.' "It never stops, that was very clear, and I understood that there was a lot to be angry about. Entertainer. her mother and her mother's new husband. term contract with a film studio. ", "Young people moving and walking and marching would thrill her," Lumet said. Lena Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn on June 30, 1917. Horne's grandmother Cora Calhoun Horne was well known in her community as an active supporter of many civil rights causes and took . Lena Horne was mainly raised by her grandparents, Cora Calhoun and Edwin Horne. Although it is true that Hornes personal views, political inclinations and activism put her at odds with the established big hitters of the entertainment industry of her time; she did not let it bog her down and continued to be continued to work for upliftment of the people of colour across America. Make sure that the file is a photo. All Rights Reserved. secretarial school. Laura Rollock. Lena Horne celebrates her 64th birthday on the stage of the Nederlander Theater in New York City after the evening's performance of "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music. Horne remained active in the Civil Rights Movement, performing at rallies around the country on behalf of the NAACP and the National Council for Negro Women, and she participated in the 1963 March on Washington. Entertainer. Japan fought against France, Great Britain, China, the Soviet Union, and She could never be in anything that furthered the plot or was a crucial moment in the movie.". (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. In MGMs Cabin in the Sky, the first film directed by Vincente Minnelli, she was the brazen, sexy handmaiden of the Devil. Horne will forever be remembered as one of the institutions of American entertainment and civil rights movement. Weve updated the security on the site. Lena Horne, who broke new ground for black performers when she signed a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer, died on Sunday night in Manhattan. Horne also published her own memoir, Lena, in 1965. Miss Horne was not involved in writing or researching the book. 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. In 1969, after a lengthy hiatus from the big screen, she returned with her first dramatic role opposite Richard Widmark in "Death of a Gunfighter." She scored a top-20 hit with "Love Me or Leave Me," which peaked at 19 on the Pop charts in 1955, and recorded the highly-successful album "Lena Horne at the Waldorf Astoria" (1957), becoming one of the top female artists in the history of RCA Records. 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. Cabin in the Sky Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? They had no children and the couple separated after 15 years of marriage. She released an album, We'll Be Together Again, in 1993 -- and paired with Frank Sinatra for a recording of "Embraceable You." She lived in Manhattan. New York City's Avery Fisher Hall with an all-star salute. interracial relationships on screen. ''The middle class considered show business declasse unless you were a concert pianist like Marian Anderson,'' Mrs. Buckley said. World Music Singer. She received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for music, the other for film. 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. This account has been disabled. Lena Horne is known as one of the most popular African American She was also popular with servicemen, white and black, during World War II, appearing more than a dozen times on the Army radio program Command Performance., The whole thing that made me a star was the war, Ms. Horne said in the 1990 interview. DEATH DATE May 9, 2010 (age 92) #24911 Most Popular. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! "It was an extraordinarily safe feeling being with her and being on her lap. . 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. However, she continued to work in nightclubs as an entertainer till the ban was lifted in 1956. day--but especially in the South--would not accept a beautiful black woman During the same period, she was also Horne was married to Louis Jones from 1937 to 1944, and they had two children. Drag images here or select from your computer for Lena Horne memorial. Apart from being a famous entertainer she also went on to become one of the most important civil rights activists in the United States of America during her lifetime and did a lot in order to elevate the situation of African Americans. ", The palpable anger among today's activists would also please Horne because "Grandma had to hide her anger," Lumet said. cut easily from the film. After having been a featured player in the 1969 screen western Death of a Gunfighter, Horne made her final film appearance in the 1978 movie The Wiz. "We had a great time.". Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. "She was a test case for the NAACP which had decided that they were going to change the image of Hollywood. 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. She was drawn back from 2. resulted in Lena having an education that was often interrupted. Meet Me in Las Vegas "The murder of people of color is the open secret of the United States of America," Lumet added. Characteristically, whenever a friend, particularly a . She did not complete school and discontinued her formal education at the age of 18. This is a carousel with slides. Origins of an Icon. 1. June 30, 1917. Oops, something didn't work. In the year 1963, she participated in a civil rights march in Washington. The son of actor Bobby Cannavale (no surprises there) and actress Jenny Lumet, Jake's maternal grandmother is Gail Lumet, the daughter of legendary Black singer, actress and activist Lena. Although she had an outstanding career in Hollywood, it was much later in life that she produced her best work. 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.. Nonetheless, she was able to land lead roles in two 1943 movies with an ensemble African American cast, Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. When she first read the manuscript, she wept. Birthplace New York City , NY. Later, she alternately accompanied her mother on the road and stayed with family and friends around the country. Her parents divorced while she was still a toddler. She is survived by her daughter; Gail Lumet Buckley; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Another major role followed in 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. Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1917. 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. 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. With artists like Knowles and Lizzo, she said the similarity to Horne is in "consistently not being what (people) think. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. i like the page because it has a bunch of things that i didnt know. 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. '', 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. Lost her father, husband and son in one year. And while she was at it, Miss Horne said, ''You might take a look in it. Born on June 30, 1917 Lena Horne was the daughter of Edwin Fletcher Horne Junior and Edna Louise Scrotton in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. "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.". The people who matter are out there -- the Pullman porters, those people. manager. Lena hit the big time when she signed a contract with Hollywood heavyweights Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer in the year 1943. Robert Osborne attends the funeral service for entertainer Lena Horne at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on May 14, 2010 in New York City. "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. Her father weighed in, too. 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. Showing Editorial results for family and friends attend services for entertainer lena horne. So obviously, I know 99% of every single . Horne insisted on performing for mixed audiences, and since army leadership refused to allow integrated audiences, she wound up putting on a show for a mixed audience of black American soldiers and white German POWs. The show won a Drama Desk Award and a special Tony, as well as two Grammys for its soundtrack. entertainers of the twentieth century. She also assisted Eleanor Roosevelt (18841962) in her Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA, Manhattan, New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA. In the mid-1950s Horne made a movie appearance in 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.'' [36] 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. In the early 1960s Ms. Horne, always outspoken on the subject of civil rights, became increasingly active, participating in numerous marches and protests. In her biography she stated that, on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Boost. Lena Horne was the first black woman to get a contract with a major Hollywood Studio By John Lawrence Born into a black bourgeoisie family in 1917, Lena Horne was signed up in the NAACP by her grandmother, Cora Calhoun Horne, a college graduate, at the age of two. Janet Crichton , John Douglas, Alinor de PROVENCE , Henri III d'ANGLETERRE, Marguerite de WITTELSBACH , Jean de BOURGOGNE. How is her daughter, Gail? In 1938, Ms. Horne starred in a quickie black musical film, The Duke Is Tops, for which she was never paid. Then Freed insisted that Louis B. Mayer, who ran the studio, hear her, too. troops. She achieved stardom on the nightclub circuit as a singer of blues and ballads, enhanced by her radiant beauty, vibrant voice, and charismatic qualities. The person she always credited as her main influence was not another singer but a pianist and composer, Duke Ellingtons longtime associate Billy Strayhorn. She was 92. Her mother left later in order to find work as an actress and Lena was left in the care of her grandparents. Ms. Horne and Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather. The title song became one of her signatures. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. at the JVC Jazz Festival with a tribute concert and the Ella Award for 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. Paul Robeson called her 'the toughest little woman' he'd ever met. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Harlem's famed Cotton Club. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Along the way I also became an artist. In a message of condolence, President Obama said Ms. Horne had "worked tirelessly to further the cause of justice and equality. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Lena Horne began performing at Harlem's white-dominated Cotton Club when she was 16 years old. 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. Please reset your password. positions in organizations such as the National Association for the See the article in its original context from. improve the status of African Americans in the performing arts has Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Urban League (a group that I watched the. Actress: Cabin in the Sky. He insisted that Arthur Freed, the producer of MGMs lavish musicals, listen to Ms. Horne sing. ", For example, in her time at MGM, Horne was often told, "Sing with your mouth closed, Lena," Lumet said. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Lena Horne with her granddaughter Jenny Lumet at a gala benefit at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City, October 1999. (1948). ''It was my mother that wanted it. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. singing roles in There was an error deleting this problem. the United States), she used her own money to travel and entertain the She also co-starred with Mexican actor Ricardo Montalban in the popular Broadway musical Jamaica, running from 1957-59. Crammed into the trunk were hundreds of objects and mementos of Miss Horne's forebears reaching back six generations to an ancestor Sinai Reynolds, who was born into slavery in 1777 and who bought her freedom by selling pies. MGM's remake of, She was branded a "Communist sympathizer" by many right-wing conservatives because of her association with. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. accept. Lena Horne made her last public appearance in 1999. Try again later. made her realize that the African American people were going to unify To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Haskins, James, and Kathleen Benson. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Lena Horne I found on Findagrave.com. No one bothered to put me in a movie where I talked to anybody, where some thread of the story might be broken if I were cut. 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. When she was seven, her mother returned and the two traveled around the state which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools. Family members linked to this person will appear here. commanding stage presence, she performed in nightclubs, concert halls, After signing a seven-year contract with MGM Studios, she moved to Hollywood. 1931. 1940s Hollywood movies, Horne's film career is impressive. At age 16, Horne dropped out of school and began performing at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. She worked in various shows on television, films and also in plays at some of the leading theatres of the time throughout a career that stretched over a period of seven decades in total. Lena Horne. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52189627/lena-horne. because it was never for how great I was or what I contributed. Read on to know more about her life and works. ''The family decided that it would be 'colored' rather than Indian because it was rougher to be Indian,'' Mrs. Buckley said. In 1969 Horne starred in the movie When she was 3 years old, her father left the family. as were, especially, Horne's grandchildren. mission for antilynching legislation (laws making it illegal to hang a At age seventy-six she 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. AP Photo Stephen Chernin The daughter of Lena Horne, Gail Lumet-Buckley, second right, and grand-daughter Jenny Lumet third right, are surrounded by friends and family at the funeral for . Please try again. Steals & Deals: Wireless speakers, smartphone stands, Solawave and morestarting at $22. Roger Edens, the composer and musical arranger who had been Judy Garlands chief protector at MGM, had heard the elegant Ms. Horne sing at Caf Society and also went to hear her at the Little Troc. Ms. Hornes voice was not particularly powerful, but it was extremely expressive. Lew Leslie's revues, Horne But she didn't talk about her activism much with her family, Lumet recalled. 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. One of her favorite songs of her grandmother's is "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," which Lumet said was written for Horne by close friend and composer Billy Strayhorn. and in 1940 she joined one of the great white swing bands, the Charlie I had to learn a lot. 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. Resend Activation Email. 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. In 1997, on the occasion of her eightieth birthday, Horne was honored While Horne might not have shared that much about her civil rights work, she left her granddaughter with a powerful lesson about social justice. 1940 and divorced in 1944). In her biography she stated that, on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs. Chelsea, MI: Scarborough House, 1991. The NAACP and her father weighed in on the stipulations of the signing, demanding that Horne not be relegated to roles where she would play a domestic worker, the industry standard for African American screen performers at the time.
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