The Lady and Her Music

Lena Horne,

musical legend and epitome of glamour,

died in New York Sunday at age 92.

I was blessed to be able to see her perform

her one-woman show

The Lady and Her Music

at the Morris Mechanic Theater

in April 1984.

Photo by Martha Swopes 1984 for Baltimore Sun

She'd had a spectacular run on Broadway

and received a Tony Award

for the autobiographical show

that yielded a Grammy-winning 

soundtrack album.

Photo © AP - from L.A. Times photogallery.

It was a dress-up occasion for my darling hubby

and me and his best friend Philip and 

Phil's date du jour,

most likely the on-again-off-again Dayna,

who may or may not have been his wife

at that point.

No matter. . . 

Lena was the star of the evening.

Lena Horne Pictures

Did I mention that one of the things

my ex, father of my gorgeous sons,

 did well

(besides flowers and romance)

was fabulous outings where he looked

every bit as if he'd stepped out of the pages

of G.Q.?

And he loved the old musical standards,

the smoky torch songs,

so he jumped at the chance for us all to

experience the great Lena Horne

from seats right at the front

where we could see her skin

shimmering with dewy perspiration

and see the light in her fiery eyes.

Lena Horne Pictures

She was 65 then,

still supple, sultry, and sexy.

Ladies, we should all be so glamorous

when we're eligible for Medicare.

Photo © AP - from L.A. Times photogallery.

Thanks, Lena 

for one of the best concerts

of my life.

For coverage of Lena's life, click here.