Lena Mary Calhoun Horne

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Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 30, 1917 to Edwin and Edna Horne. Unfortunately, Horne’s father left the family when she was only three. Since her mother was an actress with a black theatre troupe that traveled, she lived in places like Georgia, and Miami. She also stayed with her grandparents for a while. After their deaths Horne moved in with a family friend. Shortly after she moved back in with her mother, whom just gotten married. When she was younger Horne often dreamed about becoming a performer, which upset her middle class family. They held college degrees and prominent positions in the NAACP and the Urban League. She pursued her dreams and was hired at Harlem’s Cotton Club at the age of 16. In 1934, with no singing experience, Horne was assigned a duet with Avon Long (Porgy and Bess). The duet, being a success, inspired her to take voice lessons. . In 1935, she joined the "Noble Sissle Society Orchestra" as a singer and dancer. Soon after, she had her first child and married Louis L. Jones, the father of both her children. The two ...

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