Lena Horne

Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Hornewas an American Award–winning jazz and pop music singer, dancer, actress, and civil rights activist. Horne's 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, where she had small parts in numerous movies, and more substantial parts in the 1943 films Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. Because of the Red Scare...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWorld Music Singer
Date of Birth30 June 1917
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
I told them I belong to the same organizations and clubs Mrs. Roosevelt belongs to, but with a few brave exceptions, I was still unable to do films or television for the next seven years.
Young people today would get a great deal of encouragement from knowing how close we could be if we had a man like Dr. King around.
Count Basie isn't just a man, or even just a band. He's a way of life.
Malcolm X raised my consciousness about myself and my people and other people more than any person I know. I knew him before he became Malcolm X.
After I got over the terrible pain of having something of mine taken from me, I began to think how bad everybody else must be feeling. It wasn't a nice time.
I was lucky, as many of my generation was, in having a man like Dr. King in our lives. He came at a time that we needed to take a long look at each other and see how similar we were.
I really do hate to sing.
In my early days I was a sepia Hedy Lamarr. Now I'm black and a woman, singing my own way.
I had my schooling right there in the Cotton Club.
Nobody black or white who really believes in democracy can stand aside now; everybody's got to stand up and be counted.
Every color I can think of and nationality, we were all touched by Dr. King because he made us like each other and respect each other.
I made a promise to myself to be kinder to other people.
I'm still learning, you know. At 80, I feel there is a lot I don't know.
As much as I try, when I open my mouth, Lena comes out, And I get so mad.