Horne, Lena.

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Singer, actress, performer of stage, films and television. Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917 and began her professional career in 1934 as a chorus girl at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. In 1935 her career as a singer was launched with the Noble Sissle and later, the Charlie Barnet bands. She toured extensively in the United States and Europe. In the 1940s she appeared at New York's Cafe Society Downtown and from there went to Hollywood where she became the first black woman to sign a long term contract. Beginning in 1942, her films included "Panama Hattie," "Cabin the Sky," "Stormy Weather," "As Thousands Cheer," "Till the Clouds Roll By" and "The Wiz," among others.

Horne recorded extensively, her most popular recordings include "Stormy Weather," "Blues in the Night" and "The Lady is a Tramp." She sang on the radio, made numerous television appearances including the specials "Harry and Lena," 1972; "Jubilee," 1976; and "The Sound of His Music" (a salute to Richard Rogers) in 1976. Her Broadway stage appearances include "Blackbirds of 1939," "Jamaica" (1957) and her greatest recent success, a one-woman show called "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" (1981), the longest running one-woman show in Broadway history, for which Ms. Horne won a Drama Desk Award as the Outstanding Actress in a Musical, a Special Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre, a Special Award of the New York Drama Critics' Circle, New York City's Handel Medallion (the city's highest award in the arts and music), and two Grammy Awards - Best Female Pop Vocalist of 1982 and Best Original Cast Album. Horne is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1997, the 1983 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Spingarn Medal and was a 1984 Kennedy Center Honors awardee.

From the guide to the Lena Horne collection, 1942-1989, 1981-1984, (The New York Public Library. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division.)

Singer, actress, performer of stage, films and television.

Lena Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917 and began her professional career in 1934 as a chorus girl at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York. In 1935 her career as a singer was launched with the Noble Sissle and later, the Charlie Barnet bands. She toured extensively in the United States and Europe. In the 1940s she appeared at New York's Cafe Society Downtown and from there went to Hollywood where she became the first black woman to sign a long term contract. Beginning in 1942, her films included "Panama Hattie," "Cabin the Sky," "Stormy Weather," "As Thousands Cheer," "Till the Clouds Roll By" and "The Wiz," among others.

Horne recorded extensively, her most popular recordings include "Stormy Weather," "Blues in the Night" and "The Lady is a Tramp." She sang on the radio, made numerous television appearances including the specials "Harry and Lena," 1972; "Jubilee," 1976; and "The Sound of His Music" (a salute to Richard Rogers) in 1976. Her Broadway stage appearances include "Blackbirds of 1939," "Jamaica" (1957) and her greatest recent success, a one-woman show called "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music" (1981), the longest running one-woman show in Broadway history, for which Ms. Horne won a Drama Desk Award as the Outstanding Actress in a Musical, a Special Tony Award for Distinguished Achievement in Theatre, a Special Award of the New York Drama Critics' Circle, New York City's Handel Medallion (the city's highest award in the arts and music), and two Grammy Awards - Best Female Pop Vocalist of 1982 and Best Original Cast Album. Horne is also the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1997, the 1983 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Spingarn Medal and was a 1984 Kennedy Center Honors awardee.

From the description of Lena Horne collection, 1942-1989 (bulk 1981-1984). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122517292

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Ben and Ruth Liman Jazz Films Collection National Museum of American History (U.S.). Archives Center
referencedIn Ford Motor Company. Lincoln-Mercury Division. Administrative records series, 1934-1961. The Henry Ford, Benson Ford Research Center
referencedIn Paul Robeson award ceremonies collection [sound recording], 1978-1996 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Duke Ellington recordings collection Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, Harvard College Library
referencedIn Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977. Charles Henry Alston papers, 1930s-1990s (bulk 1930s-1970s). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
creatorOf Hayton, Lennie, 1908-1971. Lennie Hayton collection of noncommercial recordings [sound recording], 1933-1959. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Actors' Equity Association. Paul Robeson award ceremonies collection [sound recording], 1978-1996. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Schickel, Richard. Papers, 1953-1986. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Parrish, Noel Francis. Papers, 1894-1987 (bulk 1930-1987). Library of Congress
referencedIn Larry Turnbull Circus Scrapbooks and Audio Recordings, c.1930s-1980s V & A Department of Theatre and Performance
referencedIn Frank S. Horne papers, 1927-1974 Tulane University, Amistad Research Center
referencedIn Joseph Barnes Papers, 1923-1970 Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
creatorOf Wilson, Flip. Flip. [Season 4, episode 18 : script]. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Reisman, Joe. Joe Reisman scores, 1945-1986. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Allen, Fred, 1894-1956. Mail call, radio program [sound recording]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
creatorOf Horne, Lena. The Lena Horne show. [Television special : script] / producer/director, Bob Henry ; written by Don Hinkley, Lee Hazelwood, Bob Henry. HCL Technical Services, Harvard College Library
creatorOf Lena Horne collection, 1942-1989, 1981-1984 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn Records of the Office of Personnel Management. 1928 - 2002. Photographic Prints, Proof Sheets and Negatives of U.S. Civil Service Commission and Office of Personnel Management Activities and Personnel National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Horne Family research collection, 1777-1989 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives Section
referencedIn Buckley, Gail Lumet, 1937-. The Horne Family research collection 1777-1989. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Guide to the Daily Worker and Daily World Photographs Collection, 1920-2001 Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
referencedIn Arthur Unger collection of recorded interviews [sound recording] The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Menso, Francis J. Francis J. Menso collection, 1940-1945. Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Central Library
referencedIn Robert Benney research materials, 1926-1978 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Lennie Hayton collection of noncommercial recordings, 1933-1959 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
referencedIn Stars for Freedom (Atlanta, Ga.). Program, 1963. Atlanta History Center, Kenan Research Center / Cherokee Garden Library
referencedIn King, Alexander, 1900-1965. Papers, 1953-1987 (bulk 1958-1965). Library of Congress
creatorOf Armed Forces Radio Service. Command performance [sound recording]. New York Public Library System, NYPL
referencedIn Dinkins, David N. David Dinkins papers, 1941-2001 [Bulk Dates: 1985-1993]. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Stuart, Alice Jackson, 1913-2001. Papers of Alice Jackson Stuart [manuscript], 1930-2001. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Souvenir programs for theatrical productions, 1906-2005. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Joe Reisman scores, 1945-1986 The New York Public Library. Music Division.
referencedIn Alix Jeffry additional papers Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Sillman, Leonard. Leonard Sillman collection, 1923-1968. Boston University. School of Medicine
referencedIn American Vaudeville Museum collection, 1845-2007, (bulk 1910-1940) University of Arizona Libraries, Library Special Collections
referencedIn Joseph Barnes Papers, 1923-1970 Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Alexander King Papers, 1953-1987, (bulk 1953-1987) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn David Dinkins Papers, 1941-2001, [Bulk Dates: 1985-1993]. Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn The Bell Telephone Hour collection of sound recordings [sound recording], 1940-1968 The New York Public Library. Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound.
creatorOf Jackson, Frederick, 1886-1953. Stormy weather : continuity and dialogue taken from the screen / Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation ; screen play by Frederick Jackson and Ted Koehler ; produced by William Le Baron ; directed by Andrew Stone. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
referencedIn Papers of Robert Graves: Correspondence (arranged by subject), 1915 to 1996 St John's College, Oxford
referencedIn John Eldon Thayer collection of motion picture memorabilia, 1916-1979. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Horne, Lena. Lena Horne collection, 1942-1989 (bulk 1981-1984). Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Noel Francis Parrish Papers, 1894-1987, (bulk 1930-1987) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Actors' Equity Association. corporateBody
associatedWith Actors' Equity Association. Paul Robeson Award corporateBody
associatedWith Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977. person
associatedWith American Museum of Vaudeville corporateBody
associatedWith Armed Forces Radio Service. corporateBody
associatedWith Barnes, Joseph, 1907-1970 person
associatedWith Barnes, Joseph, 1907-1970. person
associatedWith Benney, Robert, 1904-2001 person
associatedWith Buckley, Gail Lumet, 1937- person
associatedWith Buckley, Gail Lumet, 1937- person
associatedWith Communist Party of the United States of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Cullen, Frank, 1936- person
associatedWith Dinkins, David N. person
associatedWith Dinkins, David N. person
associatedWith Dodge, Joseph Jeffers person
associatedWith Dodge, Joseph Jeffers person
associatedWith Ford Motor Company. Lincoln-Mercury Division. corporateBody
associatedWith Graves, Robert Ranke, 1895-1985 person
associatedWith Hayton, Lennie, 1908-1971 person
associatedWith Hayton, Lennie, 1908-1971. person
associatedWith Horne, Frank Smith, 1899-1974. person
associatedWith Jackson, Frederick, 1886-1953. person
associatedWith Jeffry, Alix. person
associatedWith King, Alexander, 1900-1965 person
associatedWith King, Alexander, 1900-1965. person
associatedWith McNeilly, Donald, 1945- person
associatedWith Menso, Francis J. person
associatedWith Parrish, Noel Francis. person
associatedWith Parrish, Noel Francis. person
associatedWith Reisman, Joe person
associatedWith Reisman, Joe. person
associatedWith Schickel, Richard. person
correspondedWith Sillman, Leonard. person
associatedWith Stars for Freedom (Atlanta, Ga.) corporateBody
associatedWith Stuart, Alice Jackson, 1913-2001. person
associatedWith Thayer, John Eldon, 1899-1980 person
associatedWith Turnbull, Larry person
associatedWith Unger, Arthur person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York (State)--New York
United States
Subject
African American entertainers
African American motion picture actors and actresses
African American singers
African Americans in the performing arts
African American theater
Musicals
Musicals
Women singers
Women singers
Occupation
Performer
Activity

Person

Birth 1917

Active 1945

Active 1986

Birth 1917-06-30

Death 2010-05-09

Americans

English,

English

Information

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Ark ID: w6g55f96

SNAC ID: 84888878