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LENA HORNE SINGER/ACTRESS (JUNE 30,1917-) BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Lena Horne was one of the first African Americans to be signed by a major label (MGM) At first she sang in nightclubs then she got into movies. She never got lead roles because some theatres would not show movies which contained African Americans She wanted the main role in the movie Show Boat, but Ava Gardner was chosen because she was white. They filmed scenes with Gardner singing but it was actually Horne’s voice. She got tired of never getting main roles in movies so she focused on singing in night clubs. After Horne took a break from show business, she came back and played herself by being a special guest on shows such as The Cosby Show. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws. While performing for the troops during WWII she refused to sing for segregated audiences. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Horne was married twice. She said that the only reason she married her second husband, Lennie Hayton who was white, was to get around the prejudice in show business.
"I'd rather be lonely than be happy with somebody else." -CARELESS
