Women in Jazz: Lena Horne

Fans saw Lena Horne as a heart-breakingly gorgeous movie star with an apple-pie smile and voice made of silk.

Behind-the-scenes, co-stars and friends saw Lena as cold, calculated, and broken.

The world saw her as black.

Struggling for success during a civil rights revolution, it's no wonder there were many sides to the troubled jazz singer from Brooklyn.

Lena was born in 1917 into a middle-class family, who taught her never to tolerate racism and always act like a dignified lady.

When she was 15, her stage ambitious mother got her a gig as dancer for the Cotton Club, a famous hot spot in Harlem. She was introduced to the fast-paced world of jazz, rubbing elbows with Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. She began getting more prestigious gigs.

Her sultry vocals, sparkling smile, and pretty light-skinned face made her an instant sensation with white audiences. It wasn't long before she was whisked to Broadway and recording albums.

In 1941, the 24-year-old became the first African-American signed to a long-term contract to MGM.

Unfortunately, the movie studio was perplexed with what to do with a black leading lady. Roles that should have gone straight to Lena ended up going to her white counterparts. She watched in dismay as Ava Gardner was dusted with dark makeup to play a mulatto in Showboat. It broke her heart to see the Viennese glam queen Hedy Lamarr play Tondelayo, the Congo goddess in White Cargo. And the role of that light-skinned black girl passing as white in Pinky? Lena never stood a chance of earning that Oscar-nominated part.

Instead, Lena was placed in all-black films or given musical cameos in big-budget motion pictures.

To help further her career, Lena raised eyebrows by marrying Lennie Hayton, a white composer. It worked. He got her gigs no black manager could ever have done in that time period, she later said. They later divorced.

Despite her success, reality always socked her in the gut. For example, she became seriously ill while headlining at the ritzy Savoy Plaza and wasn't even allowed to stay in one of the hotel's rooms to recover.

She became heavily involved with civil rights during this time period, participating in marches and speaking out at rallies. And she began to resent the upper-class white audiences who paid top dollars to see her perform. She developed a cool, distant exterior towards her fans.

In the 1950s, Lena was labeled a Communist by the government for her civil rights work. She was blacklisted from Hollywood and could not find work.

As the years passed, Lena regained her career and starred in movies, performed on Broadway, and appeared on television.


She passed away two years ago at the age of 92.

Here is Lena's most famous song, Stormy Weather:

What do you think of Lena?

Women in Jazz: Peggy Lee

My boyfriend, Rian, is the film curator for the American Jazz Museum.

His job recently had him working with our city's film festival, to showcase rare clips from various jazz artists in history. We attended the screening last week and it was pretty bad-ass.

Through Rian, I've learned a lot about jazz, regarding the history and lesser-known artists.

So, I thought I would highlight a few fabulous female jazz singers in a series.

Our first lady is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Peggy Lee.

Peggy was born in 1920 in North Dakota.

Having lost her mother when she was four, Peggy suffered a difficult childhood, putting up with an alcoholic father and abusive stepmother.

After graduating, she packed up her bags and moved to Hollywood, desperate to leave her miserable small-town life behind. Unfortunately, it didn't work. After spending months as a waitress, and even a carnival worker, Peggy went home, tail between her legs.

She started singing on a local radio station, which led to offers in other parts of the country. Soon, the 20-year-old beauty found herself traveling the country, playing at small venues.

She was performing in a ritzy Chicago nightclub in 1941 when Benny Goodman, a very famous bandleader, took notice. He asked her to sing in his orchestra, and not long afterwards, they began working in the studio.

She ended up releasing a couple of number one hits which not only sold more than one million copies, but made her an instant household name.

It was during this time that Peggy fell in love with Dave Barbour, a guitarist in Benny's band. The two married in 1943 and had a daughter. Unfortunately, Dave assumed that Peggy would gladly give up her singing career to stay at home and be a dutiful wife and mother.

Peggy obliged to his wishes for a few years, but could not help her itch to continue her career. She wrote songs in her spare time and in 1947, released several more songs that flew to the top of the jazz charts.

Her hunger for success and passion for music could not keep Peggy at home. She ended up divorcing her husband in 1951. Her career skyrocketed. She released numerous number hits, sold millions of albums, and even dabbled into acting.

What separated Peggy from her contemporaries is that during the 1950s, she was one of the only old-school jazz singers to embrace rock and roll. While her peers despised the new musical form, she loved it.

By the late 1950s, her obsessive workload began to take a toll on her health. She continued to record music, produce theater productions, and actively participate in charity work until her death, from diabetes, in 2002.

Here is Peggy's most famous song, Fever:

What do you think of Peggy's style and her music?

My Britney Spears Story

When I was a freshman in high school, Britney Spears hit the scene.



Like every other 14-year-old girl, I became obsessed.



I bought her first CD and played it over and over again in my room. I used to cut out magazine photos of Britney and then try to copy her outfits. I even waited two hours to catch a glimpse of her at a mall appearance in 1999.



Then her second CD, "Oops...I did it Again" came out a year later, and she exploded pink sparkly fabulousness all over the world.



I was her most devoted fan, attending her concerts and watching her music videos on repeat. My parents even begrudgingly detoured from our trip to New Orleans to drive miles out of the way to attend the Britney Spears Museum in her Louisiana hometown.



I was her BIGGEST FAN.



When I was 16, Britney's website had a writing contest. The short story had to feature Britney as a main character. The first prize was a trip to meet Britney Spears in person.

Hyperventilating, I whipped out a story in less than an hour and mailed it that morning.

In my short story, Britney was kidnapped by a band of wild gypsies during a shopping spree in Beverly Hills. As a private detective, I tracked down the ruffians with Sherlock Holmes worthy skills and saved Britney. Fleeing her ruthless captors, we discovered the gypsies were actually a robotic boy band in disguise, commissioned from another planet to destroy the pop princess in an attempt to take over the world.



I spent the next 31 days fantasizing what it would be like if I won first place in the writing contest. The most logical reasoning was that Britney would immediately think I was the coolest person she'd ever met and we would end up being best friends. I saw no other conclusion.

I was so excited!



Well, I finally got notice from the Britney Spears website. I did not win first place. Instead, I was the third place winner. It was still a huge deal, I mean thousands of girls had submitted a story and mine was third best. But my heart was still broken.



My spirits weren't even lifted by the personal e-mail from Britney's PR lady which said my story had had the most creative plot she'd ever encountered.

Well, then, why didn't I win first place?!?

I wanted to meet Britney!

As the third prize winner, I got a shitload of memorabilia: books, CDs, posters, stickers, and t-shirts.

And when I read the two other stories that outshone mine, I got even more sour. The second place story was well-written, but revolved around a girl who met Britney at a concert. (Ummm okay. Super exciting.) And the first place winner practically cheated by writing a heart-wrenching sob story about a little girl with cancer who spent her single wish from a genie to meet Britney. Even I had tears in my eyes after reading it. (Not fair).



Well, it took almost a year for me to get over my disappointment.

And then when I graduated high school in 2002, both of us evolved into different people.



As soon as I got to college, my taste in music changed. I started listening to indie rock because I was surrounded by it. I spent more time studying for exams and climbing the ladder of my campus newspaper than keeping up with Britney's tabloid dramas.

Even though I'm not the biggest Britney fan anymore, there will always be a little part of me that unconditionally loves her.



Because no matter how hurt or lonely or depressed I ever felt in high school, she made me want to sparkle. And for a teenage girl, sometimes that's all you need.

Thank you, Brit Brit.

Donna Summer Style

Whenever I'm in a bad mood, one thing that perks me up is blasting my Donna Summer greatest hits while I'm driving.

There is something so deliciously catchy about her rhythmic pop beats and sultry voice that totally lifts my spirits. It makes me want to dance. It makes me want to sing. It makes me want to love to love you, baby.

Well, this stunning 70s glam queen is not just a disco legend, she's also one of the greatest fashion icons in history.



Her glittery, sexy stage costumes were breathtakingly fabulous.



She never failed to seduce your eyes with a single pose.



Her style represented an era besieged by flower-adorned hippies, funky disco cats, and fresh-faced American pie youth in faded blue jeans.



With Hollywood-esque beauty and superstardom in her grasp, she epitomized the changing world of pop music.



Her success is astounding. She has won five Grammy's. She was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach #1 on the US Billboard chart. She also had four #1 hits in the US within a 13 month period.



I'm not gonna lie, despite her glamorous and enviable life, Donna hasn't been without her own dramas. When she shot to fame in the 1970s, it caused the 20-something-year-old to spiral out of control. She grew extremely depressed and attempted suicide several times. In 1979, however, she became a born-again Christian, which appears to have saved her life.

Today she lives in Nashville with her husband. She has three daughters (one who is even a gorgeous model) and four grandchildren.



Below, I have created an outfit inspired by Donna Summer's style from the 1970s. Do you like it?

What do you think of Donna Summer's style?

Callas Forever

I love Jeremy Irons. Maria Callas is one of the most fabulous icons in history.

So, I was pretty delighted when my long-time blogging buddy Rachel, over at Da Paura, asked me to review a favorite film of hers, Callas Forever.



The 2002 film focuses on the last days of the beautiful, stylish, and famed opera singer, Maria Callas during the 1970s.



The 53-year-old is struggling with depression and the loss of her iconic voice, but an old friend (Jeremy Irons) tries to bring her success back to life, with the use of new technology and lip-syncing.



European movie star Fanny Ardant is the gem of this film. Her stunning beauty and elegant demeanor bring a middle-aged Maria to life on screen, in the most flattering way possible. She conveys the emotionally distressed opera singer superbly, with as much grace and heartache as she could muster. It is a heart-wrenching performance.



I hate to say it, but Fanny definitely over-shadowed my beloved Jeremy Irons in the film. As the flamboyantly gay music promoter Larry, Jeremy is a little wooden in his performance. But this may be simply because I'm more critical of him, as he is one of my most favorite actors.



No amount of acting in this film, however, could take my eyes off the main star: the fashion. Fanny's wardrobe was entirely provided by Chanel for the film. Her outfits were spectacularly delicious. It is a lustful sight for any fashionista, whether you like the film or not.



Overall, I think Callas Forever is a great watch. It offers an interesting glimpse into the life of a legend who is not very well known today.



The only complaint I have is that this film left me wanting more. Not more of the film, but more of Maria Callas.



I didn't know much about Maria before watching the film, and now I am dying to know her entire life story. I want to buy recordings of her music. I want to pour over photos of the Chanel-clad diva. I want the entire experience.



So, immediately after seeing the film, I ordered a biography of the gorgeous opera singer online. I can't wait to start reading it!

I definitely recommend Callas Forever. Thank you Rachel for the excellent suggestion!