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).
Makin' Whoopie
Shirley Horn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopee
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring
He's washin' dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious he even sews
But don't forget folks,
That's what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars per;
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."
He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge, right into jail.
You'd better keep her
I think it's cheaper
Than making whoopee."
The song "Makin' Whoopie" by Shirley Horn is a playful take on the traditional wedding song, with a focus on the aftermath of the wedding. The first stanza describes the typical scene of a bride and groom on their honeymoon, after having tied the knot in June. The next stanza begins to focus on the realities of married life, and how making whoopee (i.e. having sex) can lead to very specific consequences - such as having to wash dishes, do laundry, and even sew. The third stanza introduces a more serious element to the song, with the lyrics detailing a dispute between a man and his ex-wife over alimony. The man questions why he should have to continue to support his ex-wife financially, but the judge insists that he must. The song ends on a somewhat cynical note, with the suggestion that it might be "cheaper" to stay with one's spouse than to go through the trouble of getting a divorce.
Line by Line Meaning
Another bride, another June
It's another wedding in the month of June
Another sunny honeymoon
Another lovely and memorable honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopee
It's another time of the year for lovemaking and intimacy
A lot of shoes, a lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
Its really killin' that he's so willin'
To make whoopee
The wedding is happening, and the groom is nervous, but excited about the night of lovemaking that follows
Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring
Imagine a place where love dwells and blossoms, and think about the progress it can make in a year
He's washin' dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious he even sews
But don't forget folks,
That's what you get folks, for makin' whoopee
The man is doing household work and takes pleasure in eve the smallest things, but he also recognizes that these are the consequences for making love
He doesn't make much money
Five thousand dollars per;
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says, "You pay six to her."
The man doesn't make a lot of money, and a judge orders him to pay more six thousand dollars after the divorce.
He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge, right into jail.
You'd better keep her
I think it's cheaper
Than making whoopee."
He asks the judge about the penalties if he doesn't have the money to pay his ex-wife, and the judge warns him that prison awaits. The judge also implies that they should have stayed married since it's less expensive than being divorced.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind