Abbey Lincoln
Biography
Abbey Lincoln was an American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. Born in Chicago and raised in Calvin Center, Michigan, she started singing professionally in Los Angeles and Honolulu under stage names such as Gaby Lee before settling on Abbey Lincoln in 1956. Billie Holiday influenced her, and her 1956 debut album, Abbey Lincoln's Affair... A Story of a Girl in Love, led to a series of records for Riverside. In 1960 she appeared on Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now Suite. Her screen work included The Girl Can't Help It (1956), Nothing But a Man (1964), and For Love of Ivy, which brought a 1969 Golden Globe nomination. She began television work in 1968 with The Name of the Game. In 1990 she played Lillian in Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. She signed a ten-album contract with Verve Records and in 2003 the National Endowment for the Arts gave her a Jazz Master Award.
80years old at death
- Born Chicago
- Died New York City
- Star sign: LeoThe sign runs July 23 to August 22
- Anna Marie Wooldridge (birth name)Also credited as Anna Wooldridge
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 68 years1956 to 2024
Every film, newest first
- 2024Soundtrack to a Coup d'ÉtatIMDb rating 7.8
- 1990Mo' Better BluesIMDb rating 6.7
- 1964Nothing But a ManIMDb rating 7.9
- 1956The Girl Can't Help ItIMDb rating 6.8
Genres
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Getting ready for a role
In 1956 Lincoln acted in the musical comedy The Girl Can't Help It, wearing an orange dress Marilyn Monroe had worn in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She disliked what that dress stood for in her early career, so she burned it.
About the name
Before settling on Abbey Lincoln in 1956, she sang professionally in Los Angeles and Honolulu under stage names that included Gaby Lee.
A first
Lincoln took a part in Alice Childress's Wine in the Wilderness in March 1969. It opened the 10-episode series On Being Black, presented by WGBH-TV Boston, with dramas written, produced and performed by Blacks.
Abbey Lincoln movies on Netflix
Worked with
Abbey Lincoln made one film with each of them. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Samuel L. Jackson's page
John Turturro's page
Giancarlo Esposito's page
Denzel Washington's page
Wesley Snipes's page
Edmond O'Brien's page
All films by Spike Lee
Frank TashlinDirector, 1 film, 1956
All films by Frank Tashlin
Johan GrimonprezDirector, 1 film, 2024
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| 1975 | Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame | Won | |
| NEA Jazz Masters | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.