Deep down I guess I have always been an old soul. I love black and white movies. I love classical music. I love old novels. I love day old spaghetti.

When I was child, I would wake up around 1 or 2 in the morning when my mom was asleep. I would sneak into the living room and try may best to turn on that old fashioned TV without waking her. Back in the day, those TV’s would make a loud buzzing noise as the came on. Pure anxiety.

In those early morning hours all of the old movie classics would play. It was during these night watches that I first fell in love with TV musicals and the classical scores of those films. One song in particular that struck me was the beautiful Stormy Weather. The lyrics were both simple and profoundly poignant. Lena Horne’s voice beautiful and mournful.

Lena’s life is truly a fascinating tale. There is currently a biopic in place produced by Oprah and starring Miss Alicia Keys. This biopic better be a  mini-series to contain the many notable events in Lena’s life.

She was born in 1917 in Brooklyn New York. Beginning her career as a dancer in the famous Cotton Club of Harlem. In 1942, she signed a seven  year contract with MGM Studios and became the highest paid black actor of that time.

Mr. Max Factors himself developed a makeup just for her to make her appear darker. This line was called, "Light Egyptian".

In 1944, she was the first African American to appear on the cover of Motion Picture Magazine. She was the pin up girl for African American men overseas fighting WWII.

During the ’50s she faced persecution for her fierce devotion to civil rights. Branded a communist sympathizer, Lena was blacklisted for ten years unable to perform in film or TV.

Interesting to note, she played Glenda the Good Witch in the 1970’s classic The Wiz.

Still alive in well in her 90’s, Lena is retired from showbiz and lives in New York.