Lena Horne Biography | American Singer, Dancer, Actress

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne

Born: June 30, 1917
Died: May 9, 2010
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York

Major Notes:

Lena Horne has been honored as a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her parents divorced when she was only three, and for a short time she was left to live with her grandparents.
Horne's ancestral background included African-Americans, Native Americans, and Caucasians.
Lena Horne's well-educated grandmother was an early civil rights activist.
Horne's mother, Edna Scottron, was an actress and dancer which required that she travel from city to city.
At age seven, Horne joined her mother on the road and was educated in various schools from Brooklyn to Florida to Ohio.
Eventually she returned to live with her grandmother again and attended high school in Brooklyn .
In high school, Lena Horne took dance lessons and gained some experience at Harlem Opera House.
At age 16, Horne's mother helped her audition and gain a position in the chorus line of New York's famous Cotten Club.
Through the Cotten Club, she discovered her talent for singing and began singing lessons.
In 1934, Lena Horne played a small part in a Broadway play, "Dance with Your Gods."
Horne left show business in 1937 to marry Lewis Jones and the couple had a daughter, Gail.
Her husband had limited income so Horne decided to return to the entertainment field.
Beginning in 1941, Horne had been offered various recording contracts and offers from film studios.
Over the next few years, she established herself as a reputable singer and musical actress.
Unfortunately, Horne was also seeing how discrimination was affecting the black community as hotels and clubs had specific rules limiting what blacks could do.
In 1947, Horne began working in European clubs and married a second time to a white musical conductor Lennie Hayton who was classified as a communist sympathizer.
This cross-marriage and her husband's "reputation" limited the work opportunities for Horne and offers for her appearance in movies diminished.
Horne increased her work in Europe until in 1950 she started what would be a long time assignment with the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.
It was at this point some of her songs became were recognized as hits and her reputation as a singer soared.
During the 50's Lena Horne made some television appearances and was featured in several Broadway shows.
In the 70's, Horne had to live with the deaths of her husband, father, and son over the period of 18 months.
Lena Horne was an activist against racism and did much to promote the acceptance of blacks into American lifestyle.

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Major Notes:

Lena Horne has been honored as a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Her parents divorced when she was only three, and for a short time she was left to live with her grandparents.

Horne's ancestral background included African-Americans, Native Americans, and Caucasians.

Lena Horne's well-educated grandmother was an early civil rights activist.

Horne's mother, Edna Scottron, was an actress and dancer which required that she travel from city to city.

At age seven, Horne joined her mother on the road and was educated in various schools from Brooklyn to Florida to Ohio.

Eventually she returned to live with her grandmother again and attended high school in Brooklyn .

In high school, Lena Horne took dance lessons and gained some experience at Harlem Opera House.

At age 16, Horne's mother helped her audition and gain a position in the chorus line of New York's famous Cotten Club.

Through the Cotten Club, she discovered her talent for singing and began singing lessons.

In 1934, Lena Horne played a small part in a Broadway play, "Dance with Your Gods."

Horne left show business in 1937 to marry Lewis Jones and the couple had a daughter, Gail.

Her husband had limited income so Horne decided to return to the entertainment field.

Beginning in 1941, Horne had been offered various recording contracts and offers from film studios.

Over the next few years, she established herself as a reputable singer and musical actress.

Unfortunately, Horne was also seeing how discrimination was affecting the black community as hotels and clubs had specific rules limiting what blacks could do.

In 1947, Horne began working in European clubs and married a second time to a white musical conductor Lennie Hayton who was classified as a communist sympathizer.

This cross-marriage and her husband's "reputation" limited the work opportunities for Horne and offers for her appearance in movies diminished.

Horne increased her work in Europe until in 1950 she started what would be a long time assignment with the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas.

It was at this point some of her songs became were recognized as hits and her reputation as a singer soared.

During the 50's Lena Horne made some television appearances and was featured in several Broadway shows.

In the 70's, Horne had to live with the deaths of her husband, father, and son over the period of 18 months.

Lena Horne was an activist against racism and did much to promote the acceptance of blacks into American lifestyle.