Lena Horne Essay -- Essays Papers

Lena HorneLena Horne was born on June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents were Teddy and Edna Scottron Horne. After her father left her at the age of two in order to quest after his gambling career her mother leaving soon after that to pursue her acting career she went to live with her grandparents. Through her grandparents influence she became involved with organizations like the NAACP, at an early age.In 1924 she went back to live with her mother, traveling and being schooled all over the state until she was fourteen. At the age of fourteen she decided to drop aside of school and go to work. Because she was talented and light skinned it was not hard for her to find a job. She became a chorus girl in Harlems cotton wool Club where blacks entertained a strictly all white crowd. At that time she was making about $25 a week. It was here that Lena got to meet and get a line now famous artists such as Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Ethal Waters, and Billie Holiday. At the age of nineteen she met and married Louis Jones. Together they had two children Gail and Teddy (who later died in 1970 from kidney failure). While trying to get used to raising a family and having a career, she received a call from an agent, who had seen her at the Cotton Club, about a trigger off in a movie. Her controlling hus caboodle allowed her to be in The Duke is Tops and also the musical revue Blackbirds of 1939. When she finally got up the courage to leave Louis, he deiced to take her son away from her. She lost custody of Teddy when the divorce was final and has always regretted not fighting harder for her son. After her divorce she began singing with horrible Sissies Society Orchestra. Through out their tour she had to endure harsh racism having to sleep in tenement boarding houses, the bus and even one time in circus grounds. Soon after that, she toured with Charlie Barnets Outfit and became the first African American to tour with an all whi te band. She was their feature singer and considers this to be the beginning of her success.Lena decided to head out to Hollywood and see what she could do out there. She began singing in the Trocadero Club where she met one of the most influential lot in her life Billy Strayhom. Billy Strayhom was the chief music-writer for Duke Ellington. Lena has always felt that she and he were soul mates, d... ...becoming the first Africa American to tour with an all white band and also the first African American women to sign a long-term contract with a major film studio. She was also an accomplished jazz singer. transcription songs such as The Lady and Her Music and The Best Things in Life Are Free. Lena was a strong advocate of equal rights. he was a constituent of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro women and the Urban League. I think that she is a great pioneer of equal rights because she did it on her own terms and was not as impetuous as some of the other advocates. Sh e achieved equal rights and respect because of her grace, elegance and talent.BibliographyMagazines Lena Town & Country, September 95, Vol. 149 manage 5184, page 128. Author Jonathan Schwartz The Lady Lived The Blues Biography, February 98, Vol. 2 issue 2, page 62 Author Beverly Lauderdale Lena Horne, Timeless as Ever Billboard, June 98, Vol. 110 issue 25, page 36 Author Philip BoothWeb Pages www.amctv.com/behind/stars/horne.html www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000006Q62/afrciangenesis www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/6424