Lena Horne - Singer, Actress, Activist and Prominent Figure who Changed America

She finally decided not to perform in places where black people were not allowed. Up until that time, she was one of the very few black performers with a Hollywood contract, she was the first one to sing with a white band and she was the first to sing at the famed Copacabana nightclub.

Lena Horne died last Sunday at the age of 92. Among her most well-known works is "Stormy Weather", the all-black movie musical from 1943 the title song of which became a major hit and catapulted her into super-stardom. She had many more broadway successes and in 1981, she won a Tony Award for her one-woman Broadway show "The Lady and Her Music". Horne also got involved in the Civil Rights Movement and she also spoke out on social and political matters.

Her career seemed to get yet another fresh start in the early 90s when Blue Note Records recorded an album with standards called "We'll Be Together Again" which showed her in fine voice. Her final recordings were made for a 1998 album also on Blue Note.

Last year saw the release of a great biography by author James Gavin. Called "Stormy Weather", this fascinating look into the life of a truly unique and strong woman makes you wonder why Lena Horne, who truly and deservedly is a national treasure in the US, has never achieved any star status overseas.