(I know that my father in law, Noel, 84, who had his own jazz radio program at age 17, will be mourning the loss of one of jazz's greats. This one's for you, Noel).
Jazz legend Lena Horne died in hospital yesterday aged 92.
Miss Horne was renowned as much for her striking beauty and magnetic sex appeal as for her sultry voice and talent. Her African-American background inspired a lifetime of civil rights activism.
Some moments:
- Born in 1917, from age 16 she sang in the chorus of the Cotton Club (a famous night club in Harlem that featured the greatest black singers and performers but generally denied admission to black customers). Having become a nightclub performer, she then moved to Hollywood where bit parts in small films led to roles in Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather. However, the Red Scare in Hollywood and her activist views caused her to be blacklisted.
