September 1944, and saxophone legend Lester Young arrives at Fort McClellan, Alabama, for basic training. Young is a jazz star, and he expects to be placed in a military band, like white musicians Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw. Instead, he’s assigned to a combat unit. Here marks the beginning of the end for the “President of Jazz.”

Lester Young’s impact on jazz, and popular culture, is immeasurable. He rose to fame as one of the Count Basie Orchestra’s standout. His solos, it was said, could take the audience’s collective breath away. His smooth, passionate sax work influenced generations – from Charlie Parker to Sonny Rollins. He was a true original. He coined the hipster phrases, “cool,” and “bread.” He dubbed Billie Holiday “Lady Day.” And you knew him at a glance by his pork pie hat.

Lester Young was not cut out for the army. He refused to follow orders. He resisted cutting his hair, sleeping in a barracks, or even wearing army boots. He openly drank and smoked marijuana. And, he declared that he didn’t need basic training because he would never fire a gun. “I don’t want to kill anyone,” he said. “I want to play and make them happy.” He was court martialed in short order and sentenced to one year in a detention barracks, then dishonorably discharged.

Details of his year in custody are sparse. What is known, though, is that Young was subjected to brutal abuse and bigotry. The experience was so traumatic, his sax playing was never quite the same. And it set in motion a long, slow spiral into alcoholism. “The sooner I drink myself to death,” Prez once joked, “the happier I’ll be.”

This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written and produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producers Dennis Green and George Dorman. Hosted by Hollis Monroe.

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Lena Horne left school at 16 to help support her family. She became a dancer at Harlem’s Cotton Club was soon a sought-after performer – a role she would maintain throughout her life. A long run at the Savoy-Plaza boosted Horne’s career even further. She was featured in Life magazine, and listed as the highest-paid Black entertainer of the day.

MGM signed Horne to a seven-year contract, but not before she demanded (with some assistance from her father and the NAACP) that she not play industry-standard roles, like domestic workers, that stereotyped African-American women. This was a controversial stance, but her convictions paid off. She appeared in legendary films like Cabin In The Sky and Stormy Weather.

By the end of the 1940s, Horne had sued a number of restaurants and theaters for discrimination. She became an outspoken member of the leftist group, Progressive Citizens of America. McCarthyism swept Hollywood, and Horne found herself, and friend Paul Robeson, blacklisted. It didn’t stop her career, though. She found work in posh nightclubs and on TV, and sang extensively in Europe. The ban eased by the mid-1950s, and Horne was as popular as ever. Her albums, “Feelin’ Good” and “Lena In Hollywood,” were hits.

Horne continued to use her fame on behalf of the NAACP, the National Council for Negro Women, and the Civil Rights Movement. She was a vocal participant at the 1963 March on Washington, and she lifted her voice for the voiceless until her death in 2010.

This episode of “Soundtrack to the Struggle” was written by Hollis Monroe. Produced by Ron Adkins. Executive Producers Dennis Green and George Dorman. Hosted by Hollis Monroe. 

Podcast (soundtrack): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS