The ‘Stormy Weather’ has calmed.
Legendary actress, songstress and all-around entertainer Lena Horne passed away Monday in New York, at the age of 92. For everyone who already knows who Lena Horne is, you assuredly recognize what a huge loss this is to entertainment and to the world. But for those of you who aren’t quite sure who Lena Horne is, sit back and prepare to be enlightened.
Lena Horne was born June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, NY. She always had a special gift for music and the camera loved her with her stunning good looks. Being a black actress in Hollywood back in those days wasn’t necessarily lucrative, but was rather limiting. And the fact that Lena’s complexion was so light she could sometimes pass as white, Hollywood had no idea what to do with her. She was too beautiful to play the “stereotypical” black maid. And she was unable to sustain longevity in leading woman roles because she was black. Hollywood was still racist, but somehow Lena found a way and made her mark.
Her two most recognizable film roles were in “Cabin in the Sky” and the signature film “Stormy Weather,” which made Lena famous both on the big screen and on record. But realizing her ethnicity and the color of her skin would prevent her from going only so far in cinematic work, Lena reinvented herself and took to the stage. It was through her stage, television and concert appearances around the world that made Lena Horne a household name. And it was through her charitable and civil rights work that made her force within her race.
For more about the life and career of the woman known as “Stormy Weather” click HERE. But in the meantime, enjoy this visual memory of a true trailblazer and entertainment great.
timeless beauty!