Debut as chorine at Cotton Club aged 16

Stage debut in "Dance with Your Gods"

Toured as singer with Noble Sissle's Orchestra

Made first recording (with Noble Sissle Orchestra)

Made film debut in "The Duke Is Tops"

Signed with MGM; first film there, "Panama Hattie"

Played first leading roles in films in the all-black musicals, "Cabin in the Sky" and "Stormy Weather"

Appeared in a guest spot in her last film for six years, "Duchess of Idaho", an MGM musical starring Esther Williams

Blacklisted by movie and TV industries in the early 1950s, in part because of her close friendship with actor-singer Paul Robeson

Appeared in the film, "Meet Me in Las Vegas"

Starred on Broadway in the musical, "Jamaica"; received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical

Resumed acting after a long absence; played dramatic role in a film, "Death of a Gunfighter"

Returned to feature film acting after another lengthy absence; played Glinda the Good Witch in the all-black retelling of "The Wizard of Oz", "The Wiz"

Starred on Broadway in the long-running one-woman concert show, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music"

Appeared as herself in the feature documentary, "Entertaining the Troops"

Appeared as one of the hosts of the documentary compilation "That's Entertainment III", saluting the halcyon days of the MGM musical

Returned to recording career after a 12-year absence