By Jone Johnson Lewis. Lena Horne Facts: Known for: both being limited by and transcending racial boundaries in the entertainment industry Occupation: singer, actress. Here's the full version of a performance that can be found truncated elsewhere on YouTube -- from the 1943 film of the same name, the great Lena Horne. Early life. Lena Horne was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. [1] Reportedly descended from the John C. Calhoun family, both sides of her family were a mixture. Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. In her biography she stated that on the day she was born, her father was in the. Lena Horne later wrote that the movie producers did not make her into a servant, but they did not make her into anything else either. She said she became a butterfly. American Masters — Lena Horne: In My Own Voice was broadcast in 1996. The following biography described the career and activism of the multi-faceted entertainer at. Lena Horne, Self: That's Entertainment! III. Lena Calhoun Horne was born June 30, 1917, in Brooklyn, New York. In her biography she stated that on the day she was. 1917.. Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York in a small Jewish Hospital. Her parents were Edna Scottron Horne. Actress and singer Lena Horne was one of the most popular performers of her time, known for films such as The Wiz and her trademark song, Stormy Weather. Actress. Lena Horne is known as one of the most popular African American entertainers of the twentieth century. A woman of great beauty and commanding stage presence.