Music | Cancer season
Written by Ryan ‘Boog’ Erwin
While Cancer season is in full effect emotions are sure to be running high and low, for the Cancer is very
moody. One day they are independent, full and free the next they are unsure, insecure and clingy but no matter their mood Cancers are always loyal, dependable and responsive. They will always defend the defenseless and stand by their word. This week, I chose one Cancer celebrity who displays those cancer traits on and off screen and that is the legendary Mrs. Lena Horne.
Lena Horne was an actress, singer, and civil rights activist born in Brooklyn NY in 1917. In 1919 at two years old Mrs. Horne found herself a start in Civil rights being the youngest member of the NAACP. Fourteen years later at the age of 16 she left home to work. She started working at the Cotton Club in Harlem as a dancer. A year later she starred in the Broadway show “Dance with your Gods” as the quadroon girl. In 1942 after leaving Show biz for a while she returned to the stage and signed a 7 year contract with MGM Studios and within the first 6 months she starred in three films, Swing Fever, Cabin in the Sky, and Stormy Weather. At the time she was the highest paid black actor.
As the years went on Mrs. Horne became more involved with politics and after playing several stereotypical roles she refused to play any role that stereotyped black women. A blacklist was created in Hollywood that declared no communist would perform in Hollywood and upon the list Mrs. Horne’s name went because of her support for the Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee and WEB Dubois and Paul Robeson’s Council on African Affairs. After several years her name was cleared from the list and she went back to work and later starred as Glenda the good witch in The Wiz. Upon retirement she was honored for her life’s work and most known for her hit song from the film Stormy Weather. Mrs. Horne passed at 92 years old May 9th 2010. She will always be remembered for her grace and beauty and for her loyalty to the civil rights movement.
