Ancestral Reverance: Abbey Lincoln
- August 22nd, 2010
- Posted in Ancestors and Elders
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Jazz Profiles from NPR
Abbey Lincoln
Produced by Sally Placksin
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Few singers have the emotional depth and versatility of Abbey Lincoln. With a voice capable of evoking the joys and pains of life, she has carved a niche as a singer, songwriter, and storyteller for over 40 years. Today, she’s a living jazz legend, still striving for new creative, self-expression. |
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Listen to producer Jean-Philippe Allard, trombonist Julian Priester, and drummer Max Roach describe Abbey’s artistry |
Born Anna Marie Wooldridge on August 6, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois, Abbey grew up in rural Michigan on a large farm with her eleven siblings. The family had a piano, and Abbey developed an interest in music at an early age and soon started singing in school and church choirs.
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Listen to Abbey recall her childhood in Michigan |
As Lincoln’s talent matured, she began learning to express the emotions behind the lyrics. She credits the recordings of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington with teaching her how to sing with conviction.
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Listen to Abbey talk about learning to be more expressive |
To escape the harsh Michigan winters, Abbey moved to California. At age 22, she spent a year in Honolulu, singing at a nightclub under the name Gaby Lee. When she moved back to California, she met lyricist Bob Russell, who became her manager and renamed her Abbey Lincoln.
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Listen to Abbey talk about Bob Russell |
After several years in the West, Abbey left for Chicago. While her singing career was beginning to build, she landed a role singing in the film The Girl Can’t Help It, wearing a dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe. But the glamorous life wasn’t sitting well with Abbey, and she fired Russel and moved on.
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Listen to Abbey reflect on her early glamorous days |
In 1956, Abbey recorded her first album, Abbey Lincoln’s Affair: A Story of a Girl in Love. The following year, she moved to New York City and worked at the Village Vanguard, which at that time was an intimate supper club, perfect for aspiring artists.
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Listen to Abbey recall her first performances in New York City |
Some incredible Gems were dropped on Like iIt Is this week. – Ras~
THIS WEEK ON Like It Is
Recently the world of music suffered the loss of a superb artist, Abbey Lincoln. In tribute to her splendid career, we rerun Gil Noble’s 1979 interview with her and speak with musical legend Randy Weston.