12th May, 2010
LEGENDARY SINGER LENA HORNE DIES
The enchanting jazz singer and actress Lena Calhoun Horne died on Sunday, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, she was 92. Ms. Horne was the first black performer with a super big deal studio contract, and she achieved international success in nightclubs and on records. During the 1940s, she was the first to play the Copacabana nightclub and was one of a few with a Hollywood contract. In 1943, MGM Studios loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black movie musical "Stormy Weather." Her rendition of the title song became a super big deal hit and her signature piece. The striking beauty with the sultry voice was also a civil rights activist who participated in numerous marches and protest.
Her daughter, Gail Lumet Buckley, survives Ms. Horne.
Tags: hollywood, music, stylePosted at 11:53 am | Comment (0)