Lena s early years lena horne was born in brooklyn, new york, on june 30, 1917. Her mother, edna, was a part of various theater troupes that travelled extensively, so lena lived with her grandparents cora calhoun and edwin horne. Her parents divorced while she was still a toddler. This biography of lena horne illuminates the sudden changes of heart that characterized her attitudes toward business, romance, friendship. Her father, edwin teddy horne, who worked in the gambling trade, left the family when lena was three. Cora calhoun horne s roots were in the family lena horne s daughter, gail lumet buckley, has chronicled in her book the black calhouns. Explore historical records and family tree profiles about lena horne on myheritage, the worlds family history network. At age 46, horne wrote a book about herself called lena. Aluuin horne was listed in the domesday book of 1086. Gail lumet buckley lena hornes story, as told by her daughter when lena horne first signed with mgm, the studio wanted her to play a maid. Lena calhoun horne was born june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, new york. I used this book for my research and it provided a wealth of information.
Lena mary calhoun horne was born on june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, new york, the daughter of a bankerprofessional gambler and an actress. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the legendary miss lena horne. American jazz and pop singer, actress and civil rights activist lena mary calhoun horne was born on june 30, 1917, in brooklyn. David levering lewis, pulitzer prizewinning author of king. An article on the style page last friday about a book on lena hornes family by her daughter gail lumet buckley incorrectly quoted a reference to.
Gail lumet buckley tells the story of her dynamic family during the most. Twentiethcentury africanamerican singer and actress. There is good reason for james gavins stormy weather. Lena horne is certainly an admirable and inspiring figure for children. Horne family collection, circa 18801910 indiana state. Lena horne historical records and family trees myheritage. Trusted information source for millions of people worldwide. Buckley also chronicles the family s history in her 1986 book, the hornes. Michael frazier, and fred walker went on to book horne for a fourweek engagement at the. Buckley also chronicles the familys history in her 1986 book, the hornes. She won the spingarn medal, the tony award, and the drama desk award. Her mother, edna, was an actress with an african american theater troupe and traveled extensively. The daughter of lena horne, gail lumetbuckley, second right, and granddaughter jenny lumet third right, are surrounded by friends and family at the funeral for entertainer and civil rights.
Her mother dreamed of being an actress, so lena followed in her footsteps as she chased small parts in vaudeville, living out of a suitcase until mgm offered lena something morethe first ever. Horne was mainly raised by her grandparents, cora calhoun and edwin horne. Hornes career spanned over 70 years, appearing in film, television, and theater. Horne joined the chorus of the cotton club at the age of 16 and became a nightclub performer before moving to hollywood.
Horne family collection, circa 18801910 indiana state library. The legendary miss lena horne by carole boston weatherford. Lena hornes family outraged by bronx principals black. Lena mary calhoun horne june 30, 1917 may 9, 2010 was an american singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist. Calhoun family, and both sides of her family were african american through a mixture of african, native american, and european american descent and belonged to the upper stratum of middleclass, welleducated people. Her father edwin left the family when horne was three years old. Edna, the indulged daughter of a family described as yankee to their marrow, was emotionally erratic. I hungered for more details and analysis as i read this book by lena hornes daughter.
May 10, 2010 several highly regarded horne albums, including lena horne at the waldorf astoria 1957 and lena horne at the sands 1961, emerged from this period, as did a top 20 us chart hit with love me or. She was born on 30th june 1917 and died on 9th may 2010. Her mother left later in order to find work as an actress and lena was left in the. Find out about lena horne s family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs.
Lena calhoun horne was born in brooklyn, ny on june 30, 1917 to edwin teddy horne and edna scottron. The surname horne was first found in middlesex and hertfordshire where alwin horne held lands before the making of the domesday. An american family applause books gail lumet buckley on. Her family history the hornes became an american masters documentary, and she narrated a documentary on black american families for pbs.
The lady and her music, and appeared in film versions of the wiz, broadway rhythm, and ziegfeld follies. The life of lena horne to take up when you count the notes, bibliography, discography, filmography and index nearly 600 pages. Her mother dreamed of being an actress, so lena followed in. An inspired, intimate history of musical legend lena horne and her family. Back matter includes a bibliography and suggestions for further listening to hornes recordings and viewing of her films. Mini bio 1 lena calhoun horne was born june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, new york. Lena horne, american singer and actress who first came to fame in the 1940s. Lena horne biography life, family, story, death, history.
Gail lumet buckley, who wrote a 1986 book about the horne family, didnt get to see the letter until 20. She was also recognized as a civil right activist, actress and dancer. Still, it was interesting to read about the talented tenth, the middle and upper classes of. The name of horn or horne, at present well represented around wisbech, is also found in kent. Included are articles, programs, awards, memorabilia, business correspondence and papers, financial data, and other printed material dealing with the careers of singer lena horne, her uncle, frank s. Gail lumet buckley lena hornes story, as told by her daughter when lena horne first signed with mgm, the studio wanted her to. The legendary miss lena horne ebook written by carole boston weatherford. Dec 25, 2016 let me show you the interesting information about a renowned afroamerican jazz and pop singer on facts about lena horne. The legendary miss lena horne may be most useful as a way to expose kids to some of hornes wonderful recordings and onscreen performances. Lena horne simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This collection contains photographs of the horne family, including lena horne civil rights activist and actress, her mother, father and others.
To know more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline read on. Share your condolences, send flowers, find funeral home information. Horne died on may 9, 2010 in new york city, new york from heart failure, aged 92. Her mother dreamed of celebrate the life of lena horne, the pioneering african american actress and civil rights activist, with this inspiring and powerful picture book from. Celebrate the life of lena horne, the pioneering african american actress and civil rights activist, with this inspiring and powerful picture book from awardwinning author carole boston weatherford. Horne, meanwhile, had moved her show to the cocoanut grove in hollywood in june, where she recorded a live ep, lena horne at the cocoanut grove, and announced that she was leaving nightclub work temporarily. In the black calhouns, gail lumet buckleydaughter of actress lena hornedelves deep into her family history. Lena horne the complete guide this is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book.
Her mother dreamed of being an actress, so lena followed in her footsteps as she chased small parts in vaudeville, living out of a suitcase until mgm offered lena something morethe first ever studio contract for a black actress. Jul 19, 2009 there is good reason for james gavins stormy weather. Still, it was interesting to read about the talented tenth, the middle and upper classes of generations of one black family. Horne, a member of the roosevelt black cabinet and poet, and other. Lena horne facts, worksheets, singer, activist, civil. Lena mary calhoun horne june 30, 1917 may 9, 2010 was an american singer, dancer. Lena horne was a famous american actress and civil rights activist and is remembered for her roles in the duke is tops and cabin in the sky. This page is dedicated to the mulittalented actres,singer, dancer of the silver screen, stage,television, and activist for equal rights. After her father who worked in the gambling trade left the family when she was three years old, horne lived with paternal grandparents.
Horne left school at age 16 to help support her ailing mother and became a dancer at the cotton club in harlem, new york city. Gail lumet buckley is a journalist and the daughter of lena horne. Lena mary calhoun horne was born on june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, new york. Charles self bedford, va you were the greatest yvonneolivia avery tamarac, fl may god bless you and your family in this time of. Lena horne was born into the freedom struggle, to a family of teachers and activists. Her mother dreamed of celebrate the life of lena horne, the pioneering african american actress and civil rights activist, with this inspiring and powerful picture book from awardwinning author carole boston weatherford. May 09, 2010 lena horne, american singer and actress who first came to fame in the 1940s. How lena horne escaped hollywoods blacklist the atlantic. Written in the style of a sweeping historical novel. Lena horne was born in bedfordstuyvesant, brooklyn. Lena horne was born in brooklyn, new york, on june 30, 1917. This is an unofficial fan page for the beautiful, talented, legendary artist known as lena horne. In two years at the cotton club she appeared with such entertainers as cab calloway and.
These welleducated bourgeois african americans were descended from a nephew of secessionist vice president john c. She famously sang stormy weather, won a grammy award for a 1981 album entitled lena horne. 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. Lenas early years lena horne was born in brooklyn, new york, on june 30, 1917. Lena horne children, bio, husband, parents, family. Although buckleys mother, lena horne, is the most famous member of the family, the book makes it clear that she was only one of its noteworthy success stories. It also includes civil rights and slavery letters to various parties and two glass plate negatives of presumed family members. Born and brought up in the top stratum of the black bourgeosie, lena horne moved into white society with her international stardom and second marriage to lennie hayton, bringing her daughter, gail.
Welcome to the horne family page at surname finder, a service of genealogy today. Lena mary calhoun horne was the only child born of her parents, edwin fletcher horne and edna luise scottron on june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, new york. At long last, the first serious biography of entertainment legend le. From civil war to civil rights with one africanamerican family gail lumet buckley. Her father was edwin teddy horne, a numbers game banker, who left the family when she was three. Jun 20, 1986 an article on the style page last friday about a book on lena horne s family by her daughter gail lumet buckley incorrectly quoted a reference to the singer marian anderson. Lena horne, june 30, american jazz and pop singer, actress and civil rights activist lena mary calhoun horne was born on june 30, 1917, in brooklyn, her father edwin left the family when horne was three years old. Let me show you the interesting information about a renowned afroamerican jazz and pop singer on facts about lena horne. Lena horne biography wiki biodata profile information details updates latest news personal life history interview about lena horne lena horne is a popular african american singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist. Lena mary calhoun horne was a woman of versatile talents who wowed audiences with her skills as a dancer and singer. A successful black entertainer tells the story of her private and professional life. A new childrens book about lena horne the legendary miss lena horne was illustrated by albany artist elizabeth zunon. And like her other work, the images in the legendary miss lena horne are beautiful warm and textured, incorporating illustration and collage. Actress and singer lena horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as cabin in the sky and the wiz as.
Cora calhoun hornes roots were in the family lena hornes daughter, gail lumet buckley, has chronicled in her book the black calhouns. Several highly regarded horne albums, including lena horne at the waldorf astoria 1957 and lena horne at the sands 1961, emerged from this. Trusted by millions of genealogists since 2003 trusted information source for millions of people worldwide. And then there were lena hornes parents, teddy horne and edna scrotton horne, who were divorced considered scandalous in black families in the early 20th century. Lena horne facts, worksheets, singer, activist, civil rights.
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