Lena Horne (𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 June 30, 1917, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.—died May 9, 2010, New York City) was an American singer and actress who first came to fame in the 1940s.

Lena Horne and Eddie (“Rochester”) Anderson in Cabin in the SkyLena Horne and Eddie (“Rochester”) Anderson in Cabin in the Sky (1943), directed by Vincente Minnelli.

In 1942 Horne moved to Los Angeles, after which she appeared in such movies as Cabin in the Sky (1943), Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), and The Wiz (1978). Her role in the film Stormy Weather (1943) included her rendition of the title song, which became her trademark. A remarkably charismatic entertainer, Horne was one of the most popular singers of her time. One of her albums, Lena Horne at the Waldorf-Astoria (1957), was a longtime best seller, and her first featured performance on Broadway—in the musical Jamaica (1957)—won her a New York Drama Critics’ Poll Award in 1958.

Though primarily known as an entertainer, Horne also was noted for her work with civil rights and political organizations; as an actress, she refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women. She was married to Lennie Hayton from 1947 until his death in 1971. Her one-woman show, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (1981), garnered many awards, including a Drama Critics’ Circle Award and a special achievement Tony Award. In 1984 Horne received a Kennedy Center honour for lifetime contribution to the arts, and in 1989 she was given a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement.