Shirley Horn American jazz singer and pianist Date of Birth: 01.05.1934 Country: USA

Biography of Shirley Horn

Shirley Valerie Horn was born on May 1, 1934, in Washington, D.C., USA. She began playing the piano at an early age and, as a teenager, became enamored with the idea of becoming a classical artist. Shirley received an invitation to attend the Juilliard School but had to decline due to financial reasons.

She then fell in love with the famous U Street jazz district in Washington, which suffered greatly in 1968 due to riots, and even before she reached adulthood, she learned what it was like to perform in a jazz club.

Shirley gained her first taste of fame in 1960 when her talent was noticed by Miles Davis. Firstly, she felt on cloud nine because she respected the musician, and secondly, the renowned trumpeter and bandleader rarely spoke positively about anyone, let alone make public statements. Shirley recorded several songs with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959, performing as a pianist and vocalist.

After meeting Davis, she released several albums on small labels in the early 1960s, eventually signing contracts with major companies such as Mercury Records and Impulse Records. While Shirley became popular among critics, she did not achieve significant success among the general public.

Shirley was concerned about the changes in popular music in the 1960s after the emergence of the controversial Liverpool quartet, The Beatles. She declared, "I won't stoop to conquer," primarily referring to her unwillingness to listen to advice on how to quickly become a pop star.

In the late 1960s, Horn focused on raising her daughter Rainey with her husband Shepherd Deering while working as an office worker during the day, which inevitably affected her musical career. When her daughter grew up, she expanded the boundaries of her touring. Her songs released by Verve Records from 1978 achieved particular success.

Horn was nominated for a Grammy award nine times, winning in 1999 in the Jazz Vocal Album category for her release "I Remember Miles." Together with her trio, which shared her preference for performing in front of small audiences, Shirley recorded the highly acclaimed album "Here's to Life" in 1992. Arranger Johnny Mandel won a Grammy for his work on the album.

Barbara Streisand, a fan of Shirley's work, released her first fully jazz album, "Love is the Answer," in 2009 (produced by Diana Krall). It topped the Billboard 200 chart and reached the second position on the jazz chart. This successful album was undoubtedly inspired by the release of "Here's to Life."

Due to complications from diabetes, Shirley could no longer fully engage in her beloved profession after a foot amputation in 2002. Suffering from breast cancer and diabetes, Horn passed away on October 20, 2005, at the age of 71. During her career, the singer received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music and was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters honor.