The Starting Five

Growing up, there was this beauty who caught my eye at an age where I was skipping and scribbling with fat crayons. She was exquisite. She was so jazzy. She was so fly. She was classy. She was simply amazing. Could you imagine someone so stunning singing right before your eyes in a moment so lovely it gave truth to every note you heard for the rest of your life? This happened in a 1982 appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. I saw glimpses of her obviously earlier in my life but that performance stuck with me for some reason. She wasn’t simply an actress or singer, she was an entertainer whose versatility allowed her to navigate in and out of show business seemingly as she pleased but….Horne would have been one of the most beloved movie stars to ever live if not for the era in which her talent reigned where the color of her skin prohibited her from securing the major Hollywood roles. She is the epitome of professional style…and now she’s gone. Lena Horne lived a full life of 92 years. A standard has passed and will never be replaced. She paved the way for so many others and very few know here career not. She was perfection if there is such a thing and transcended culture long before we as Blacks were allowed to be. The aforementioned performance gave me a sense of jazz I use to this very moment. There are certain riffs that will always remind me of Lena. My goodness she will be missed. It’s unfathomable how many men stop whatever they are doing when they simply hear her voice. Cherish the loveliness because she now lives forever in our hearts, minds and souls.

Some videos and pics after the jump.

Charismatic

Sensual

Pioneer

Gorgeous

Transcended generations

Spectacular

More than just a pretty face

Statuesque

Class

So talented

Sing free

No two ways about it

Grace

Icon

Standard

Queen

Stirs emotions

Legend

Rest in Peace and Power beautiful.

Here’s a nice tribute site.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 10th, 2010 at 11:04 am and is filed under Blogroll. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.