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Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne Paperback – Illustrated, April 13, 2010

by James Gavin (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 122 ratings
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THE “DEFINITIVE” (VANITY FAIR ) BIOGRAPHY OF LEGEND LENA HORNE—THE 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 herself—critically 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 woman—a stunning talent who inspired such giants as Barbra Streisand, Eartha Kitt, and Aretha Franklin.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    608 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 13, 2010
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 1.7 x 9.25 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0743271440
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0743271448
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“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 GAVIN’S CAPABLE HANDS, LENA HORNE’S STORY IS BOTH UNIQUELY HER OWN AND AN INTEGRAL PART OF A LARGER CULTURAL JOURNEY.” —SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

“SYMPATHETIC AND TOUGH.” —THE NEW YORKER

About the Author

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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Atria; Illustrated edition (April 13, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 608 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0743271440
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0743271448
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.69 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.7 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 122 ratings

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James Gavin

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
122 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joe Albanese
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brave Woman A Stormy Life
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2009
Verified Purchase
When I think of Lena Horn I can clearly see a stunning, sleek, classy woman who has that sly, knowing smile and sharp focused eyes. The author, Mr. Gavin, lets you know what goes on behind that smile and why Lena Horn feels the need to be so observant.

After reading STORMY WEATHER, I understood more about not only Ms. Horn but the early years of our society and how it related to African Americans.

The story is explosive in that it details Lena's struggles not only with prejudice from society but from within her own selected circle. The author skillfully details the confused arena that Lena Horn was born into.

Although not pleasant, the historical details validly state why the woman had to fight, struggle and feel the need to excel her entire life. Also, played out against the changing times, the reader sees Ms. Horn developing into her own being as opposed to the MGM fantasy.

This is a very insightful,well written and fascinating look not only at one of our greatest performers but society at large.
3 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Lena Horne - The Life of a Legend...career, civil rights activist, mother & Delta!
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2011
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I grew up knowing that Lena Horne was one of the biggest brightest smartest star African Americans had ever seen. Reading this book transported me back to her early years in film and music. I was surprised to know that Horne was tormented as a child being called "high yeller" or emotionally abused. Her stardom was an act of love for her mom while her heart longed to be truly loved unconditionally. It was heartbreaking to know that Horne saw her job as a dancer at the Cotton Club "as an escape from a miserable home life".

There were several interesting facts that I learned...her early marriage was doomed by the start. Louis Jones was abusive & shunned for marrying down. She left performing for a short time to be a good wife till she realized she didn't know how (now that's tragic). Lena Horne was inaccurately credited as having been the 1st to sign a long term contract with a major company (but her contract was more lucrative). She was considered to be a "interesting weapon against Hollywood racism". She lived in a state of depression and low self-esteem. She said this on several occasions, "Never hope too hard, it never pans out".

I met Lena Horne at a Delta convention in the late `80's. She was beautiful and very pleasant. I was excited to read about how she joined our wonderful sorority. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. president Jeanne Noble, persuaded Horne to become an honorary member of DST on Dec. 21, 1958. Noble would help her to change her image and serve as an advisor until the early `70's. There were several other items like relationships, movies, music and family that shocked me but you will have to read the book to find them out.
2 people found this helpful
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Terrance H. Heath
5.0 out of 5 stars A Human Portrait of a Great Icon
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2011
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I just finished this book and I have to say thoroughly enjoyed it. In face, I couldn't put it down. I didn't want to stop reading it. The author actually gave a fairly balanced view of Ms. Horne. It was neither a hagiography or a hatchet job, but tried to look at Horne from all sides. In my experience there are at least three sides to every story: Yours, Mine, and the Truth. The last one often contains bits of the other two. To date, Ms. Horne's version of her past has gone uncontested. I think the author should be commended for trying to give us the rest of the story.

On her MGM career, it seems true that MGM didn't know how to use her, and thus stuck her in musical numbers -- which southern censors sometimes cut. Horne, during her time at MGM, was given the job of being "the first," and "opening the door." But once it was opened she didn't anywhere to go.

Hollywood had it's first black leading lady, but they didn't have a suitable black leading man. Nevermind Denzel Washington, Larry Fishburne, or Jamie Foxx. It would be decades before there was a Belafonte or Potier in Hollywood. It was Eddie Rochester or Bill Robinson for MGM's black glamor girl. And casting her in a role as another race was nearly impossible, due to anti-miscegenation policies, etc. At one point in the book, Horne acknowledges this as one reason she didn't get the part of Julie in the film version of "Showboat."

Certainly Horne had some acting talent, and the biographer notes that she hired an acting coach to help her develop it. However, he also points out that MGM could have enrolled her in the studio's acting school as it did with other stars, but it didn't. That may have been because of Horne's race or because there wasn't much do with her once they trained her.

As I read through the passages about Horne's post-MGM career, her difficulty being close to all but a few pictures, her discomfort with her sexy image, etc., I kept going back to the early chapters about her childhood. As the parent of two young children myself, I ached for a child who received very little affection, and never had a stable home life. She was abandoned by her father, and for much of her childhood abandoned by her mother. As a result he was vulnerable to being abused by the strangers her mother placed her with, and on some occasions she was abused, and was most likely sexually abused in at least one of the "foster homes." Her mother placed her in.

Part of Horne's behavior throughout her life, then, must be seen at least partly as that of someone who has suffered physical and sexual abuse as a child. Her black middle class background and her grandmother's stern upbringing ("Never let them see you cry.") meant those incidents couldn't be discussed, let alone explored or resolved.

Part of her behavior must also be seen as that of a women who was too beautiful and talented to be ignored, but who was not white enough for acceptance among white, and was often not black enough to find acceptance among her own people. The former was cause for anger. The latter was the source of a lot of hurt. Both made for a lifelong search for identity and acceptance.

I think the author was careful here not to be worshipful of Horne, and not to trash her. He clearly showed her triumphs and failures, her strengths and weaknesses, moments of kindness and moments of cruelty, fearful moments and courageous moments. He shows her as a woman who over the years changed and grew in many ways, but not in others.

A coworker of mine, in a former job, had once worked in Hollywood and had contact with a number of celebrities. I remember her telling me that, while I might enjoy their movies or music, I would probably find that many of them are better from a distance. So often, we see only one side of our icons and idols -- an idealized image with nearly all flaws carefully hidden. This author has given us a human portrait of Horne. A fully human icon, once distant, and now as close as the book on the nightstand.
14 people found this helpful
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K. Carter
3.0 out of 5 stars Love Lena
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
The book had plenty of biographical information. Sometimes too much to the point it dragged. It would have been a better read if it were shorter.
One person found this helpful
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Easy Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Tumultuous Trip Down Memory Lane
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
James Gavin is a most excellent biographer, taking one into the life of a person so completely that one ends up feeling like a personal friend. He has written two other biographies - one of Peggy Lee, "Is That All There Is - The Strange Life of Peggy Lee", and one of Chet Baker, which I look forward to adding to my collection of Mr. Gavin's writing. His "Intimate Nights - The Golden Era of New York Cabaret", took me back to my time in New York in the late 50's-60's in the most pleasurable way - revisiting the remarkable singers of that era, some of whom actually were personal friends. I highly recommend anything Mr. Gavin puts pen to.
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3dma16
5.0 out of 5 stars 大変満足しました。
Reviewed in Japan on August 31, 2014
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世界的な大スター、特にアメリカでは、神のような存在かも。ビジュアル的にも、カリスマです。
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Rosebud
5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2009
Verified Purchase
When I ordered this book I had reservations it was going to be another ordinary biography with information I already knew about the lady. How wrong I was! The book has been extremely well researched resulting in a fascinating read. The author, James Gavin, has been honest with his observations and I enjoyed this book very much. Highly recommended![[ASIN:0743271432 Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne
6 people found this helpful
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mel ingham
5.0 out of 5 stars re: stormy weather:
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
re:stormy weather:the life of lena horne.
dear betterworldbooks
thankyou for your e-mail, but i am afraid that your super duper super cool robot has been overheating a bit and has got its acknowledgements of receipt in a twist. the above book was promptly delivered on the 11th april, as described and well packaged.
thankyou very much. the receipt was acknowledged immediately.
yours sincerely
mel ingham.
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Sabba
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2017
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An excellent account of the turbulent life of Lena
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T. J. Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars Stormy Weather
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2010
Verified Purchase
This is an interesting autobiography charting Lena Horne's fight against unequality and how she overcame it to become accepted as an entertainer.

The book is good value and was received promptly from the seller.
2 people found this helpful
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