Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne

(Paperback)

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Description

THE DEFINITIVE (VANITY FAIR ) BIOGRAPHY OF LEGEND LENA HORNETHE CELEBRATED STAR OF STAGE, MUSIC, AND FILM WHO BLAZED A TRAIL FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS IN HOLLYWOOD AND BEYOND

Drawing on a wealth of unmined material and hundreds of interviews one of them with Lena Horne herselfcritically acclaimed author James Gavin gives us a deftly researched (The Boston Globe) and authoritative portrait of the American icon. Horne broke down racial barriers in the entertainment industry in the 1940s and 50s even as she was limited mostly to guest singing appearances in splashy Hollywood musicals. Incorporating insights from the likes of Ruby Dee, Tony Bennett, Diahann Carroll, and Bobby Short, Stormy Weather reveals the many faces of this luminous, complex, strong-willed, passionate, even tragic womana stunning talent who inspired such giants as Barbra Streisand, Eartha Kitt, and Aretha Franklin.

Reviews

EVENTFUL AND SUSPENSEFUL. . . . A THOROUGH AND FLUENT BIOGRAPHY. THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
MAGNIFICENT, GRIPPING, MARVELOUSLY WRITTEN . . . [IT] MAY JUST BE ONE OF THE BEST BIOGRAPHIES ABOUT SHOW BUSINESS, RACE, LOVE, SEX, AND MUSIC EVER WRITTEN. LIZ SMITH, VARIETY
A FASCINATING STUDY OF A COMPLICATED WOMAN AND THE
COMPLICATED TIMES THAT SHAPED HER. USA TODAY
IN GAVINS CAPABLE HANDS, LENA HORNES STORY IS BOTH UNIQUELY HER OWN AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF A LARGER CULTURAL JOURNEY. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
SYMPATHETIC AND TOUGH. THE NEW YORKER

Author Bio

James Gavin is the author of Deep in a Dream, Intimate Nights, and Stormy Weather. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Time Out New York, among other publications. He lives in New York City.