Lena was born in Brooklyn, New York. When she was
sixteen years old, she got her first stage job—dancing and
then singing—at the Cotton Club in Harlem. Cab Calloway
and Duke Ellington both were playing there and like big
brothers, they took young Lena under their wing. She was
soon a singing sensation. When she was twenty-one, Lena
appeared in her first film, The Duke Is Tops. Five years
later, she appeared in Stormy Weather and Cabin In The
Sky. These early films made history because they featured
all black casts. Lena became a popular singing star and
did it all—Broadway shows, television specials, movies
and recordings. To this day, she is one of the world's most
admired celebrities and is known for her classic style
and matchless elegance.