LENA HORNE“IT’S NOT THE LOAD THAT BREAKS YOU DOWN, IT’S THE WAY YOU CARRY IT”

BY: TAYLOR HODGKINSON AND ALAYNA JOHNSON

SUMMARY OF LIFE STORY

• Born in Brooklyn, New York on June 30th, 1917.

• In 1920 her parents divorced when she was three.

• When she was fourteen she dropped out of high school.

• Her mother traveled a lot so she lived in Georgia, Florida.

SUMMARY OF LIFE STORY CONTINUED

• She was famous because of her beauty and as a popular singer of the blues.

• Had a daughter and a son.

• Was married twice.

• Her second marriage was to Lennie Hayton.

INFLUENCES

• Her mom was an actress.

• Also, Duke Ellington’s longtime associate Billy Strayhorn was the person who helped her become who she wanted to be.

CAREER

• Worked in New York City, mainly Harlem.

• She danced, sang, and acted.

• When she was sixteen she starred in a Charity Show.

• She was a black women and she married a white man.

• The song she’s most famous for is “Storm Weather”

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• She created music and she acted.

• 1st black performer to sign a long term contract with a major Hollywood studio in 1943.

• She was NAACP’s Spingarn medal for African American achievement in 1943.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS CONTINUED

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCG3kJtQBKo Stormy Weather

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL435yOrrEA A Song For You

LEGACY

• She was famous for being one of the first black women to sing for an actual company (MGM).

• She was also with 20th century fox for acting.

• Known for being a Civil Rights Activist in the NAACP.

LEGACY CONTINUED

• Died May 9th, 2010 at the age of 92

• She is still enjoyed because she was the breakthrough black singer of her time.

• Also was an actress in movies that many people enjoyed.

SOURCES

• "Lena Horne, Singer, Actress and Civil Rights Activist, Dies At 92." NAACP. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• "Biography Lena Horne." Biography Lena Horne. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• "Lena Horne Quotes." Lena Horne Quotes (Author of Champagne for One). N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.2014.

• NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• "ESL Listening." : "Lena Horne, A Star Who Broke Racial Barriers", from VOA. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• "Ricardo Montalbán - Goodnight Sweet Prince." Sexuality Love in the Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

• "If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger,There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats." : When Legends Gather #804. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.