Monday, May 10, 2010

RIP Lena Horne, actress, singer and trailblazer...

The extraordinary Lena Horne died last night at the age of 92, and it's a sign of the times that she's being given her due in newspapers and web publications everywhere.

Horne broke mainstream entertainment ground for African-American singers, actresses, dancers and other performers at a time when challenging the racial divide had real — sometimes brutal — consequences. And unlike the equally bold but less-resilient Dorothy Dandridge, Horne lived to see generations of younger artists benefit from her courage and determination.

And she was never less than fabulous. So a moment of silence, please, for the kind of star they just don't make any more. Lena Horne fan site.

2 comments:

achyfakey said...

She could even take something as uneven as The Wiz and, with one song, give it the emotional weight that the entire rest of the movie strived for.

miss flickchick said...

I entirely agree: The material wasn't worth of her, but Horne went in and gave it everything she had.

Horne may have been a glamorous star, but she was also a consummate professional.