Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Lena Horne. Stormy Weather, Stormy Life. Dead at 92
Associated Content ^ | May 10th, 2010 | Sherry Tomfeld

Posted on 05/10/2010 6:39:39 AM PDT by stillafreemind

In the 40s Lena wasn't singing much to mixed audiences. She fought for the right to perform for mixed audiences. In the 50s the name Lena Horne could be found blacklisted. Her association with a man called Paul Robeson was one reason and the belief that Horne was a "Communist Sympathizer" was another.

(Excerpt) Read more at associatedcontent.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Miscellaneous; Music/Entertainment; Society
KEYWORDS: lenahorne; stormyweather
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

1 posted on 05/10/2010 6:39:39 AM PDT by stillafreemind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind

2 posted on 05/10/2010 6:48:04 AM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind

“Her association with a man called Paul Robeson was one reason and the belief that Horne was a “Communist Sympathizer” was another.”

####

If she was deemed that based on Senator McCarthy or the HUAC, then she almost certainly was a Commie sympathizer and/or supporter, AKA a useful idiot. Despite foundational liberal dogma, the Commie hunters of the late 40’s and early 50’s accuracy was near 100%.


3 posted on 05/10/2010 7:00:37 AM PDT by EyeGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EyeGuy

Which is a pity, because both she and Robeson were amazing singers.


4 posted on 05/10/2010 7:04:35 AM PDT by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig

“Which is a pity, because both she and Robeson were amazing singers.”

####

I’ll take a tone-deaf, rock-ribbed conservative ANY day over a Red with talent.


5 posted on 05/10/2010 7:08:25 AM PDT by EyeGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: EyeGuy
Her association with a man called Paul Robeson...

Listen to Paul Robeson singing the Soviet patriotic song Песня о Родине (Song of the Homeland), from 1942.

6 posted on 05/10/2010 7:21:41 AM PDT by Taft in '52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: EyeGuy
I’ll take a tone-deaf, rock-ribbed conservative ANY day over a Red with talent.

How about a talented rock-ribbed conservative? Here's Stalin Kicked the Bucket (1953) by Ray Anderson.

7 posted on 05/10/2010 7:26:41 AM PDT by Taft in '52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind
Although I wasn't there in the 40s my parents were, as she was/is one of my father's favorites, my understanding is Lena Horne was very much accepted by all audiences.

Dunno about her communist sympathies but the comments about segregation in this article are another cheap attempt to work the media's favorite subject in. Like they always do.

8 posted on 05/10/2010 7:37:43 AM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Taft in '52

Fab.

Apparently not everyone back then was fooled by FDR’s friend Uncle Joe.


9 posted on 05/10/2010 7:41:42 AM PDT by EyeGuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind
Frankly, I never thought she was a great singer.

Her real talent was as a great self-promoter. She had an outlandishly huge ego that I always found irritating, and she never sang a single note that made me say, "Wow!"

As for Robeson, his voice was huge and resonant, but certainly not beautiful, flexible and wide-ranging as some of the great bassos of his day like Pinza, Siepi or Kipnis. His wild, uncontrolled vibrato makes his voice unlistenable for me.

10 posted on 05/10/2010 7:50:40 AM PDT by Dr. Thorne (Buy Gold and Guns Now!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: skeeter

In some southern states during the 1940s her songs were routinely edited out of those big technicolor MGM movie musicals.


11 posted on 05/10/2010 7:51:27 AM PDT by mono
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind

An amazing talent and a beautiful lady however;

In the 40s Lena wasn’t singing much to mixed audiences. She fought for the right to perform for mixed audiences. In the 50s the name Lena Horne could be found blacklisted. Her association with a man called Paul Robeson was one reason and the belief that Horne was a “Communist Sympathizer” was another.

She also spent a life time knowing that she was equal to everyone else and trying to teach that to others.


A. Communism teaches (but seldom practices) that everyone is equal.

B. A woman of singular talent such as this tryingto teach that everyone is equal? So a homely fat girl with a screechy voice was the equal of Lena Horne?

I think not.


12 posted on 05/10/2010 7:55:25 AM PDT by Grunthor (Over YOUR dead body!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind
Paul Robeson was a filthy scumbag Marxist and,as my Mom used to say,you're known by the company you keep.So I say,rot in hell,Lena.
13 posted on 05/10/2010 7:55:47 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Host The Beer Summit-->Win The Nobel Peace Prize!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Little Pig
Which is a pity, because both she and Robeson were amazing singers.

So what? It's well known that Mao Tse Tung was a world class canasta player.Was *his* death a pity?

14 posted on 05/10/2010 7:57:30 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Host The Beer Summit-->Win The Nobel Peace Prize!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind

Lena Horne was a great jazz singer, at least I thought so. I think her stance on wanting to sing to “mixed” audiences is understandable. I was but a kid when she was fighting as a black and as a woman to be “equal” in an industry that was hard and unforgiving towards both.

Sometimes I just like to enjoy something. ie. Lena Horne singing. Sometimes I don’t want to get mudded down in the side traffic of who someone was or what someone was.

I am really glad that not everyone knows how I believed when I was a young pup. I have grown, learned and changed over the years. I guess I’m trying to say I don’t know how Lena thought. I don’t really care..I just liked her music.


15 posted on 05/10/2010 8:02:44 AM PDT by stillafreemind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative
It's well known that Mao Tse Tung was a world class canasta player.

And Ho Chi Minh was said to be a talented pastry chef.

16 posted on 05/10/2010 8:02:57 AM PDT by Taft in '52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: stillafreemind
Here are a couple of versions of "Stormy Weather" that are better than hers, both from 1933:
17 posted on 05/10/2010 8:16:12 AM PDT by Taft in '52
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gay State Conservative

Rot in hell?

How very Christian of you.

Bet you went to church yesterday and acted all pious.


18 posted on 05/10/2010 8:38:48 AM PDT by Shyla
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: mono

Ms. Horne, like mamy other entertainers of her day, also could not stay at the hotels where she was performing.

I love the lady and miss her. God rest her soul.


19 posted on 05/10/2010 9:49:33 AM PDT by fatnotlazy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: mono

In the south at that time I believe it.


20 posted on 05/10/2010 2:42:49 PM PDT by skeeter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson