Lena Horne was not only a celebrated singer but also an accomplished actress and civil rights activist.
Born in Brooklyn in 1917, Lena Horne was raised in a well-educated African American family and faced early challenges after her father's departure.
Horne made her first screen appearance in 1935 and became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, known for her stunning voice.
Biography
Early Life
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917, in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, to Edwin and Edna Horne. Growing up in a well-educated upper-class African American family, Lena faced the challenges of her father's departure when she was just three years old. Raised primarily by her grandparents, she spent her early years in Georgia and returned to New York at the age of twelve. Horne attended Girls High School in Brooklyn but dropped out at sixteen to pursue a career in entertainment.
Career
Horne's career began in the fall of 1933 when she joined the chorus line of the Cotton Club in Harlem, where she quickly gained recognition. Her first screen appearance came in 1935, and she went on to perform with notable orchestras and in various films. Horne became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, known for her stunning voice and captivating performances. She was a trailblazer, becoming the first African American woman to sign a long-term contract with a major Hollywood studio. Throughout her career, she released numerous albums, including "Stormy Weather" and "Moanin' Low," and received several prestigious awards, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Civil Rights Activism
Beyond her artistic achievements, Horne was a passionate civil rights activist. She refused to perform for segregated audiences during World War II and was involved with the NAACP, speaking at rallies and participating in the March on Washington. Horne's commitment to social justice was evident in her actions and her music, which often reflected her beliefs and experiences as a Black woman in America.
Personal Life
Lena Horne's personal life was marked by two marriages, the first to Louis Jordan Jones, with whom she had two children, and the second to Lennie Hayton, a prominent music director. Horne's relationships often faced scrutiny due to her interracial marriage, but she navigated these challenges with grace. Throughout her life, she maintained close friendships with influential figures in the arts and civil rights, leaving a lasting legacy as both an artist and an activist.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
Classic Ellington2000
- 1.Take the "A" Train9:09
- 2.You're the One2:59
- 3.Sophisticated Lady5:14
- 4.Harlem (A Tone Parallel to Harlem)14:13
- 5.Isfahan4:51
- 6.Ad Lib on Nippon8:56
- 7.That Doo-Wah Thing9:07
- 8.Something to Live For4:36
- 9.Come Sunday5:33
- 10.Solitude in Transblucency4:42
- 11.Maybe2:46
- 12.Things Ain't What They Used to Be7:18
Being Myself1998
- 1.Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues3:42
- 2.As Long as I Live2:27
- 3.Autumn in New York4:25
- 4.It’s Alright With Me3:17
- 5.Sleepin’ Bee3:37
- 6.Imagination5:49
- 7.How Long Has This Been Going On?4:42
- 8.After You3:15
- 9.Willow Weep for Me3:54
- 10.What Am I Here For?3:17
Lena Horne & Sammy Davis Jr.1994
- 1.When I Fall in Love4:13
- 2.September Song3:49
- 3.I Wish I’d Met You4:22
- 4.A Fine Romance3:13
- 5.It Could Happen to You3:10
- 6.The Eagle and Me3:10
- 7.Look to the Rainbow4:44
- 8.Sing My Heart2:59
- 9.Round About3:51
- 10.Joy4:35
- 11.Ours3:14
- 12.Close Enough for Love4:12
- 13.I Won’t Leave You Again5:05
- 14.Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye3:37
We’ll Be Together Again1994
- 1.Maybe2:46
- 2.Something to Live For4:46
- 3.Day Follows Day3:01
- 4.Prelude to a Kiss4:43
- 5.Love Like This Can’t Last3:26
- 6.We’ll Be Together Again3:42
- 7.A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing2:40
- 8.Old Friend2:52
- 9.You’re the One3:48
- 10.Havin’ Myself a Time2:59
- 11.My Mood Is You3:08
- 12.I’ll Always Leave the Door a Little Open3:38
- 13.Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me4:37
- 14.Forever Was a Day4:41
- 15.I’ve Got to Have You4:21
- 16.My Buddy2:58
The Men in My Life1988
- 1.I Wish I’d Met You4:15
- 2.Ours3:10
- 3.Everytime We Say Goodbye3:25
- 4.A Fine Romance3:10
- 5.Roundabout3:45
- 6.September Song3:45
- 7.Joy4:32
- 8.Close Enough for Love4:07
- 9.I Won’t Leave You Again5:05
- 10.The Eagle and Me3:05
- 11.When I Fall in Love4:09
- 12.Look to the Rainbow4:36
- 13.It Could Happen to You2:06
- 14.Sing My Heart2:55
Lena, a New Album1976
- 1.I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face3:53
- 2.Someone to Watch Over Me4:28
- 3.My Funny Valentine3:37
- 4.Someday My Prince Will Come4:19
- 5.I’ve Got the World on a String5:34
- 6.Softly as I Leave You3:40
- 7.I Have Dreamed4:44
- 8.A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing3:14
- 9.I’ve Got to Have You3:51
- 10.My Ship5:15
Lena & Michel1975
- 1.I Will Wait for You3:43
- 2.I Got a Name3:46
- 3.Nobody Knows3:35
- 4.Being a Woman3:18
- 5.Let Me Be Your Mirror2:15
- 6.Loneliness3:52
- 7.Time in a Bottle3:47
- 8.Everything That Happens to You, Happens to Me2:49
- 9.Sad Song3:57
- 10.I’ve Been Starting Tomorrow All of My Life2:20
- 11.Thank You Love3:55
- 12.One at a Time3:15
Nature’s Baby1971
- 1.Feels So Good2:58
- 2.A Song for You4:16
- 3.Maybe I’m Amazed3:37
- 4.Being Green3:21
- 5.Your Song3:55
- 6.Mother’s Time4:59
- 7.I Wouldn’t Have You Any Other Way (Ain’t Nobody Perfect)2:47
- 8.Only the Moon and Me4:50
- 9.More Today Than Yesterday3:48
- 10.Think About Your Troubles3:00
- 11.Nature’s Baby6:35
Lena & Gabor1970
- 1.Rocky Raccoon3:33
- 2.Something3:10
- 3.Everybody’s Talkin’2:56
- 4.In My Life2:55
- 5.Yesterday When I Was Young4:02
- 6.Watch What Happens4:03
- 7.My Mood Is You4:42
- 8.Message to Michael3:18
- 9.Nightwind3:37
- 10.The Fool on the Hill3:36
Soul1966
- 1.I Got a Worried Man3:02
- 2.Wonder What I’m Gonna Do2:50
- 3.I’d Like to Hear It Sometime2:23
- 4.What the World Needs Now Is Love2:31
- 5.Unchained Melody2:54
- 6.Let the Little People Talk2:49
- 7.Love Bug2:11
- 8.A Taste of Honey3:07
- 9.The Old Mill Stream2:46
- 10.Like a Child2:40
- 11.The Music of the World a Turnin’2:40
- 12.You Know What to Do2:47
Merry From Lena1966
- 1.Jingle All the Way2:30
- 2.The Christmas Song3:17
- 3.Winter Wonderland2:09
- 4.White Christmas3:23
- 5.Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!2:21
- 6.Little Drummer Boy3:12
- 7.Rudolph, the Red‐Nosed Reindeer2:38
- 8.What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve3:37
- 9.Have Yourself a Very Merry Christmas2:40
- 10.Silent Night!2:55
Lena in Hollywood1966
- 1.Singin’ In the Rain2:52
- 2.In Love in Vain2:30
- 3.Never on a Sunday4:07
- 4.Somewhere2:25
- 5.All the Way3:02
- 6.Wives and Lovers2:12
- 7.It Had Better Be Tonight2:18
- 8.Moon River3:28
- 9.A Fine Romance2:57
- 10.I Love Paris3:26
- 11.It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World1:55
Feelin’ Good1965
Tracklist not collected yet.
NBC’s Chamber Music Society of Lower Basin Street1964
Tracklist not collected yet.
Lena Like Latin1963
Tracklist not collected yet.
Lena on the Blue Side1962
Tracklist not collected yet.
Lovely & Alive1962
Tracklist not collected yet.
Songs by Burke and Van Heusen1959
Tracklist not collected yet.
Porgy and Bess1959
Tracklist not collected yet.
Give the Lady What She Wants1958
Tracklist not collected yet.
Stormy Weather1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
It's Love1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
It’s Love1955
Tracklist not collected yet.
Lena Sings Your Requests1952
Tracklist not collected yet.
Moanin' Low1942
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Blue Note
- Record label
- MGM Records
- Record label
- RCA Records
- Record label
- Qwest Records
- Record label
- Warner Bros. Records
- Record label
- Decca
Achievements
- Award
- Spingarn Medal
- Award
- Paul Robeson Award
- Award
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
- Award
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical
- Award
- Special Tony Award
- Award
- NAACP Image Award – Hall of Fame Award
- Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
- Award
- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist
- Award
- Grammy Hall of Fame
- Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Award
- Radcliffe Medal
- Award
- International Civil Rights Walk of Fame
- Award
- honorary degree from Spelman College
Similar artists
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Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Horne Lena, Lena Horn, Lene Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theater.
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Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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