Legendary Lena Horne dead at 92

By Alan Duke, CNN
May 10, 2010 11:50 a.m. EDT
(CNN) -- Legendary singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne, 92, died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday night, a hospital spokeswoman said.

No other details of her death were made public.

Horne was the first African-Americans to sign a long-term movie contract with a major Hollywood studio when she joined MGM in 1942.

Horne's expressive and silky voice made her a singing star, known best for her hit "Stormy Weather," after Hollywood failed to give her roles that might have made her a big screen starlet.

Horne complained she was used as "window dressing" in white films, mostly limited to singing performances that could be easily edited out for play in southern theaters.

The light-complexioned Horne refused to go along with studio plans to promote her as a Latin American.

She later said she did not want to be "an imitation of a white woman."

Horne, whose parents divorced when she was 3, lived a nomadic childhood traveling with her actress mother. She spent much of her time growing up in Brooklyn, New York, where she was born in 1917.

Horne was 16 when she began her show business career as a dancer at Harlem's Cotton Club. She later became a singer there, playing to packed houses of white patrons, with band leaders Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington.

She began taking singing lessons in 1935, and eventually landed a part in the all-black Broadway production "Dance With Your Gods."

Her work as a feature singer with touring bands and in nightclubs increased. She became the first African-American singer to tour with a white group in 1940, according to her official biography.

Her first film role came in 1938 in "The Duke is Tops," but her next movie didn't come along for another four years.

She was given a screen test by MGM and signed to a seven-year movie contract after a studio scout saw her performing in a New York club.

Her stepfather, Miguel Rodriguez, negotiated with MGM head Louis B. Mayer for her to never be cast as a maid or "Tarzan extra."

"I think the black boy that cleaned the shoes and me were the only two black people except the maids who were there working for the stars," Horne said in a CNN interview. "And it was very lonely and I wasn't very happy."

Still, Horne said she was grateful that her World War II era films -- including black musicals "Cabin in the Sky" and "Stormy Weather" -- were seen by black and white soldiers.

"But after I realized I would only go so far, I went on the stage," Horne said.

With only subservient roles available for a black actress in Hollywood in the 1940s, Horne turned to recording top-selling songs.

Horne said performing for live audiences was what she loved most.

"I'm always happy when I'm surrounded by people to react and feel and touch," she said.

While traveling with a USO tour during the World War II, she walked out on a show because German war prisoners were seated in front seats, ahead of African-American troops. After the USO withdrew her from the tour, she used her own money to travel to sing for the troops.

She has a son and daughter from a first marriage that ended in 1944.

Horne married again in 1947 to Lennie Hayton, who was then MGM's music director. She kept the marriage secret for several years, since Hayton was white. When it was made public, the couple received hate mail and threats of violence, according to her biography.

Radio, television, film and nightclub jobs were harder for Horne to find in the McCarthy era of the 1950s when she was blacklisted. That ended in 1956 when RCA gave Horne a new recording contract and she earned a guest spot in the movie "Meet Me in Las Vegas."

Horne returned to Broadway in 1957 for her first starring role there. "Jamaica" ran for 555 shows.

She became active in the civil rights movement after she was involved in a public altercation following a racial slur in a Beverly Hills, California, restaurant in 1960.

She was an active supporter of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement. Horne was there when King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on the Lincoln Memorial steps in 1963.

Variety television shows welcomed Horne as a musical performer, especially in the 1960s. She appeared on numerous episodes with Perry Como, Dean Martin and Flip Wilson.

She returned to film for a final role in 1978 as Glinda the Good Witch, opposite Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, in "The Wiz," an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz."

She got a special Tony Award for her 1981 one-woman Broadway hit "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music." She also won two Grammys for the recording of the show.

Horne was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989, and she also won a Grammy in 1995 for best jazz vocal performance for her album "An Evening With Lena Horne."

In her later years, Horne said she found peace.

"The best time in my life I guess is now because I'm quiet and I'm logical and I accept without flying off the handle -- sometimes I do," Horne said with a laugh.

10 Things You Need To Know About Sleep

Do you get enough sleep? Many people don't. 10 Things You Need to Know About Sleep reveals the science behind why so many find it difficult to nod off, and offers practical tips on the best ways to get a good night's sleep.

BBC - Health - click on title to go to BBC

(Lavender works for me! J)

1. Bath Before Bedtime
A hot bath has been a much-quoted remedy for sleeplessness for years, but how does it work? The body's normal core temperature is about 37.4 degrees Celcius. You might think that raising this temperature in a hot bath is what tricks your body into feeling sleepy. In fact, it is the cooling down that occurs when you get out of the bath that facilitates sleep. It is only recently that the drop in body temperature has been recognised as a trigger for sleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, try having a warm bath about an hour before bedtime.

2. Insomnia
Insomnia plagues people in huge numbers, and once the body has asserted an erratic sleeping pattern, it can be very hard to break. Sleep restriction therapy is one potential method of breaking such patterns. A sufferer is restricted to spending less time in their bedrooms, whether they sleep or not. But it's not easy, as Professor Colin Espie from the University of Glasgow Sleep Centre explains: "People with insomnia will typically spend longer in bed to try and catch up. What we do with sleep restriction is drastically reduce the amount of time they spend in bed. That's a difficult thing to do." The aim of this treatment is to make the subject so tired that their body will be forced to re-establish a normal sleeping pattern. If you're struggling with insomnia, a sleep restriction therapy programme is definitely an option to consider. The key is to stay in the bedroom only to sleep, and always get up at the same time each day. Consulting your GP is always a good first step towards tackling insomnia.

3. The Art Of Napping
The nap can be a great way of boosting energy levels, as long as you observe the rules over when you nap, and for how long. Naps are most effective when taken in the afternoon between two and five. The optimum nap duration is 30 minutes. Your body will naturally resist attempts to nap between seven and twelve o'clock in the morning, and between six and eight o'clock in the evening.

4. How To Stop Snoring
It's estimated that 15 million Britons snore. Snoring can be linked to serious health conditions and as it can affect the sleep of more than just the sufferer, it can have a negative effect on relationships. But what causes snoring? During sleep, the muscles controlling our airways can relax, causing the air passage to narrow. As a result, when we breathe, the soft tissues in the mouth, nose and throat vibrate, which we then hear as snoring. Help is at hand though, with a number of over the counter remedies available. Moistening strips can be employed that are designed to reduce the vibration of these soft tissues. Alternatively, mouth guards can prevent the tongue from falling to the back of the mouth. However, such remedies are not guaranteed, and if your sleeping and snoring is more serious, do consult your GP.

5. Don't Mess With Your Sleep Cycle
A good night's rest is usually an indicator that the body has undergone five specific stages of sleep, which together, form one sleep cycle. At stage one, a person will feel drowsy. Stage two is where someone drops off to sleep. The third and fourth stages constitute deep sleep. The final fifth stage is REM sleep, signified by Rapid Eye Movement, an indication that we are dreaming. Sleeping soundly requires that we go through four to six cycles in one night, and anything less will be detrimental to our performance when awake. The best way to ensure you have the right mixture of sleep stages is to avoid caffeine and alcohol before sleeping, as they can distort the natural sleep pattern, and ensure that you sleep for between seven and nine hours every night.

6. The Power Of Daylight
If sleeping isn't an issue for you, then how about waking up? Research into daylight reveals that it can be used to help us wake up more effectively. In 2002 scientists identified a group of receptor cells in the eye that regulate the production of a hormone called melatonin. This hormone determines how sleepy or awake a person feels. At night, the body's supply of melatonin will increase, causing us to feel sleepy. At daybreak, even with the eyelids closed, the receptor cells are triggered by the increasing light to signal the brain, and in particular, the pineal gland, to reduce the amount of melatonin in the body. This allows us to feel more alert and awake. By mimicking the qualities of natural light that trigger the receptor cells, scientists can use 'blue' lamps to fool the body into thinking it's naturally awake. These blue lights can help early risers to feel more awake. But for anyone struggling to sleep during daylight hours, dark heavy curtains could help.

7. Eat To Sleep
Did you know that different types of food can affect how you sleep? Meals rich in carbohydrates set off a chain reaction which makes us sleepy. When carbohydrates are digested in the stomach, they trigger the release of insulin, which in turn, helps the chemical tryptophan enter the brain. There, it's turned into serotonin, and serotonin makes us sleepy. However, eating proteins has the opposite effect to carbs. Proteins break down into amino acids, which reduce the amount of tryptophan entering the brain. So less sleep-inducing serotonin is produced. As a result, we tend to feel more alert. A protein meal at lunch may well prevent you from dropping off in the afternoon, and a carb-heavy meal in the evening should help you sleep.

8. How To Beat Jet Lag
Jet lag affects frequent flyers and holiday makers alike, but scientists believe they may have found a new method to overcome the afflication. The theory is based on the internal food clock which helps animals regulate sleep. In humans, it's largely dormant, but can be activated by controlled fasting. After such fasting, the theory is that eating at the next meal time of the new time zone can help quickly reset the body's internal clock. So if you want to avoid jet lag when you next fly long haul, try to avoid food on the flight, and eat your first meal on arrival at the destination. If the theory is correct, then this should help reset your body clock to your local time, and enable you to get a good night's sleep.

9. Relaxation
One simple and effective method to wind down is to repeatedly tense and relax your muscles, shortly before going to bed. Starting with the feet, tense all the muscles in one foot for a few seconds, and then release. Repeat this tensing, holding and relaxing for the rest of the body. The whole exercise should last for about 15 minutes, and should leave you feeling a lot more relaxed, and ready to sleep.

10. Herbal Remedies
Herbs like lavender and plant extracts like valerian root are just two natural sleep inducers. Valerian can be bought and consumed as a tincture, and lavender can be used to make a herbal tea, although studies indicate that it is the smell of lavender that helps people to sleep. Both are available from all good pharmacies.

Alpha: the power of one

Mother Claver, nee Jessie Ripoll, founder of Alpha


Sister Mary Bernadette Little who helped her students to dream big dreams ... and realise them!

It is difficult to imagine. A middle-class Jamaican lady, moved by the poverty around her, cleans out her bank account, asks her friends for contributions, seeks support from the church, and buys 43 acres of land to start a ministry for the poor.

But this is no fairy tale. This is the true story of young Jessie Ripoll who bought the land at South Camp Road for £800 in 1880, and taking in the first orphan on May 1 of that year, created Alpha. As her orphanage grew and friends joined her project, the Catholic Church suggested that the Mercy Sisters be invited to expand the mission. Jessie became Sister Mary Claver.

A few years later, the Alpha Boys' Music Programme was started, and a galaxy of stars has continued to emerge to this day. Several schools sprang up around the convent and chapel - Alpha Infant, Primary, Academy, the recently closed Commercial College and the latest addition, an excellent primary school bearing Jessie's name.

On a television feature in 2005 to celebrate Alpha’s 125th anniversary, we were treated to an account of the school’s history uniquely told against the strains of the Alpha Boys' Band. The crew marvelled at the poise and grace of the legendary principal of Alpha Academy and a graduate of the school, Sister Mary Bernadette, who has served as a Mercy sister for over 60 years. Then there was Aggrey Irons who happened to be my classmate at the now closed Alpha Prep School (to this day, he still pulls my hair).

I confess to becoming misty-eyed when I listened to past students Bev Lopez, former PSOJ president; and Lorna Bell, executive director of the Special Olympics Association. These women of excellence remembered the feeling of family we had at Alpha as well as the quality of the curriculum. Bev harked back to Latin classes and prayerful moments in the chapel, while Lorna thanked Sister Bernadette for demanding so much of us.

Best of all were the performances of the current Alpha students - the band, the angelic dancers from the Jessie Ripoll School, as well as performers from the Primary School and the Academy. Sister Susan Frazer, Sister Shirley Chung and Sister Marie Goretti hovered over their charges with the focus and dedication that has nurtured tens of thousands of Jamaican children.

The Alpha Boys' School became so famous that the celebrated trumpeter Johnny "Dizzy" Moore of the Skatalites confessed to "acting up" as a child, just to be sent to Alpha Boys' School. Lennie Hibbert, Tommy McCook, Rico Rodriguez, Sparrow Martin, Don Drummond, Dwight Richards, Yellow Man, Leroy Smart all came out of Alpha Boys' School as do the majority of musicians in our military and constabulary bands.

Few can forget the motherly love of Sister Ignatius who was never short of visitors as she continued to counsel her graduates years after they had left school. The Alpha way of taking care of the young with love and understanding should be a standard for children's homes in our island.

When our parents deposited us in Alpha's lap each day, they were sure that we would be guided and disciplined without fear or favour - and with a good deal of fervour! During my years at the prep and high schools, I experienced a unique comfort level with classmates of all colours and addresses. I cannot help but think that, in seeing a woman of colour - the distinguished, elegant Sister Bernadette, so emphatically in charge of the institution, we all became aware of our possibilities.

The memory of Jessie Ripoll reminds us of the power of one. We are so used to blaming "them" that we forget that in the human equation, multiples of "me" equals "them".

There are too few Jessies, and too many jesters, acquiring without requiring from themselves a responsibility to this troubled society. We know this is a great country with fantastic potential, but we are driving drunk, putting many lives, including our own, in danger. As I contemplate the simplicity of the lives of Alpha's sisters and their wonderful joie de vivre, it is obvious that those of us who think we have so much are really depriving ourselves of the best, a service-oriented life.

My classmate Natalie Thompson, who owns the brilliant film production house Cinecom, wants to do a documentary on our class. One day when we were playing the fool, Sister Bernadette brought us up short and told us, "You are a powerful class." We seem to have digested those words well, as several of us now run successful businesses, five are doctors, one is the principal of a leading Florida high school, and most are serving their respective communities.

But our sad national statistics tell us that we are simply not doing enough to replace fear with faith. We should be getting as spiritually fit as possible to reach our young people, before they are held in the deadly grip of crime and violence. In 1880, without car, phone or internet, Jessie Ripoll did it. Why, then, are we doing so much less when we have so much more?