Singin' and Dancing Back in Time.: Rest In Peace Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Monday, May 10, 2010

Rest In Peace Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Lena Horne has passed away at age 92.

Horne was born in June 1917 in Brooklyn. By her teens she began singing in nightclubs, including the famed Cotton Club as a chorus girl.

Although her Hollywood career spanned six decades, she never really achieved any huge success in that arena often because of her African American heritage was seen by studios as a deterrent when casting for lead roles or roles that might necessitate an interracial relationship on screen.

She was best known in the entertainment world for her singing and showcased that in more nightclubs, on Broadway and on TV variety shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Judy Garland Show." Later in her career she appeared on "The Cosby Show" and "The Muppet Show."

She won several Grammy awards over her career and received a best actress Tony nomination for the musical "Jamaica." Later, she received a special Tony for her one-woman show, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music."

Her contributions to the Civil Rights movement include working alongside Paul Robeson and Medgar Evers, participating on the March on Washington and collaborating to end desegregation and lynching.

Horne is survived by her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, and granddaughter Jenny Lumet, screenwriter of "Rachel Getting Married."

3 comments:

DawnMay 10, 2010 at 4:14 AM
Monty, Ohmygosh!! I just added her picture to the sidebar a couple of days ago.. Lena was blessed, she lived a long life. What a great lady she was.
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montyMay 10, 2010 at 8:47 AM
She was a great and talented lady. Dawn I agree 100%.
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TomMay 10, 2010 at 4:07 PM
I did not know that her granddaughter is a screenwriter. That is interesting.
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