Shirley Horn was born and raised in Washington, D.C.. Encouraged by her grandmother, an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four. Aged 12, she studied piano and composition at Howard University, later graduating from there in classical music. Horn was offered a place at the Juilliard School, but her family could not afford to send her there. Horn formed her first jazz piano trio when she was 20. Horn's early piano influences were Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, and moving away from her classical background, Horn later said that "Oscar Peterson became my Rachmaninov, and Ahmad Jamal became my Debussy." She then became enamored with the famous U Street jazz area of Washington (largely destroyed in the 1968 riots), sneaking into jazz clubs before she was of legal age.
Horn first achieved fame in 1960, through her association with Miles Davis. Davis' praise had particular resonance in two respects: because he was so highly respected as a musician, and because he rarely offered public praise for fellow musicians at that time. Horn had, though, recorded several songs with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959 both as a pianist and a singer. After her discovery by Davis, she recorded albums on different small labels in the early 1960s, eventually landing contracts with larger labels Mercury Records and Impulse Records. She was popular with jazz critics, but did not achieve significant popular success.
Quincy Jones attempted to make Horn into a pure vocalist in several recording sessions, something he later hinted may have been a mistake. Horn was also disturbed by the changes in popular music in the 1960s following the arrival of The Beatles. Largely rejecting efforts to remake her into a popular singer, she stated: "I will not stoop to conquer."[4] From the late-1960s, she concentrated on raising her daughter Rainy with her husband, Shepherd Deering (whom she had married in 1955), and largely limited her performances to her native Washington, D.C.
Miles Davis made a rare appearance as a sideman on Horn's 1991 album You Won't Forget Me. Although she preferred to perform in small settings, such as her trio, she also recorded with orchestras, as on the 1992 album Here's to Life, the title song (lyrics by Phyllis Molinary, music by Artie Butler) of which became her signature song. A video documentary of Horn's life and music was released at the same time as "Here's To Life" and shared its title. At the time, arranger Johnny Mandel commented that Horn's piano skill was comparable to that of the noted jazz great Bill Evans. A follow-up was made in 2001, named You're My Thrill.
Horn worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years: Charles Ables (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) about "the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to Horn's sound. Working with boundless subtlety, following her every spontaneous twist and turn, they were the ideal accompanists for a performer who clearly will tolerate nothing less than perfection".
Her albums Here's to Life, Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute to Ray Charles) and I Love You, Paris all reached number one on the Billboard jazz charts.
Due to health problems in the early 2000s, Horn had to cut back on her performances. After 2002, a foot amputation (from complications of diabetes) led her to leave the piano playing to pianist George Mesterhazy. In late 2004, Horn felt able to play piano again, and recorded a live album for Verve, at Manhattan's Au Bar with trumpet player Roy Hargrove, which did not satisfy her.[citation needed] It remains unreleased except for tracks on But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn.
A breast cancer survivor, she had been battling diabetes when she died of complications from the condition, aged 71. She is interred at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Horn was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards for I Remember Miles, a tribute to her friend and mentor (the album's cover featuring a Miles Davis drawing of them both).
She was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several U.S. presidents. Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005 (the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians).
GREEN
Shirley Horn Lyrics
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Having to spend each day the colour of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red or yellow or gold
Or something much more colourful like that
It's not that easy being green
It seems to blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over
Or stars in the sky
But green is the colour of spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean or important like a mountain
Or tall like a tree
But if green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder, why wonder
I'm green and it'll do fine
And it's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be.
Shirley Horn's song "Green" is a poignant reflection on the struggles of being different and the beauty of finding true acceptance. The song opens with the lines "It's not that easy being green, having to spend each day the colour of the leaves" which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. The colour green is used as a metaphor for feeling out of place, blending into the background with little distinction. However, the song also suggests that being green has its own charms, drawing on the colour's association with spring and its unique ability to evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity.
Throughout the song, Horn juxtaposes the challenges of being different with the powerful sense of self-acceptance that comes with embracing one's true colours. Despite the fact that green might not be as flashy or noticeable as other colours, the singer realises that it is still beautiful in its own right. As the lyrics state, "But if green is all there is to be, it could make you wonder why, but why wonder, why wonder. I'm green and it'll do fine, and it's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be." This final line is a powerful declaration of self-assurance, showing that the singer has come to appreciate the unique qualities that make them who they are.
Overall, the song is a touching and insightful meditation on the challenges of being different, and the beauty that can be found in self-acceptance. By using the colour green as a metaphor, Horn is able to explore complex themes of identity, acceptance and transformation in a simple yet profound way, making this song a classic of the jazz genre.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not that easy being green
Being green isn't as effortless as it may seem
Having to spend each day the colour of the leaves
Green is the everyday color that one is associated with
When I think it could be nicer being red or yellow or gold
Sometimes one desires to be a more noticeable color than the ordinary green
Or something much more colourful like that
A vibrant color that will make one stand out
It seems to blend in with so many other ordinary things
Green doesn't stand out amongst the rest, but instead blends in
And people tend to pass you over
Green isn't a color that catches one's eye or attention
'Cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles on the water
Green doesn't have the same pizzazz or shine that sparkles have
Or stars in the sky
Green isn't as luminous and bright as stars in the sky
But green is the colour of spring
Green is a hopeful and refreshing color that represents spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
Green can also be a calming and inviting color
And green can be big like an ocean or important like a mountain
Green can also represent large, significant things like an ocean or a mountain
Or tall like a tree
Green can also represent something strong and sturdy like a tall tree
But if green is all there is to be
If green is the only option for an individual in terms of their identity
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder, why wonder
It may lead one to wonder why this is the case, but it's pointless to dwell on it
I'm green and it'll do fine
Being green is satisfactory for the individual
And it's beautiful and I think it's what I want to be.
The individual has come to appreciate the beauty of green and desires to identify with it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph G. Raposo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind