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Then when persons either put two and two together and or knew which way Mr. Strayhorn was living openly with a white man that alone would have ruffled a few feathers back in those days. I mean if word got into the media that Mr. By guides one means they helped direct and escort whites from "downtown" as they navigated Harlem's AA areas to reach these establishments.Īm wondering if BS and his lover keeping separate apartments had more to do with him being "famous" than an actual gay or race issue. Some famous AA men got their start as young boys/men working as "guides" for white men to such places. There were plenty of "parlor houses" that provided African American women who serviced white clients in Harlem. Strayhorn would be nearly one hundred if he had lived till now (born in 1915) but one wonders if he was say just a few decades later such as the 1930's meaning he'd be in his 70's or so what he'd make of things going on today in terms of gay equality.īack to Harlem's gay scene from back in the day was not that surprised to learn many white gay males who had "jungle fever" traveled uptown to frequent clubs that catered to mainly or mostly AA men. Horne's memory and certainly mean no disrespect but am willing to bet if BS had only asked she would have accepted. Yet there are persons who think it is only of recent memory that straight women have "lusted" after a gay man, thinking they can change him and or saying "it doesn't matter". He taught mostly everything she formally knew about music. Ms Horne always said BS was everything she would have wanted in a husband but he was gay. Timeline of Harlem Gay History - The LGBT Past of NYC's Historic African-American Enclave Of course that "friend" was BS who wrote the song as well.īookmavenbookmaven: Rendezvous At Lucky's Horne opened"I Want Something To Live For" by saying "this is for one of my friends who slipped away". Strayhorne's death.ĭuring her live one woman Broadway show Miss. Horne was in Europe when news reached her of Mr. *LOL* Even in death rumors spread that BS died at hospital in Lena Horne's arms, which was rubbish. The only thing a woman could do for BS in that area is show him which way a man went. Though the two were great friends and LH apparently would have married BS if he asked without batting an eye, as with all PR generated cover-ups for famous gay men there was nothing to it.
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During his lifetime and for years afterwards persons have tried to paint some great romance between BS and Lena Horne for instance. Strayhorn because of his sexuality (something the man himself did not conceal) and the larger often "butch" world of jazz musicians. Think there is often confusion and or whatever over Mr. That and the excellent PBS special "Lush Life" shown often enough on Channel 13 (usually during gay pride month). Much of what one knows comes from reading various things online and elsewhere over the years. Here is the way the club looks now as well as an artist "interpretation" of the club. I'm wondering if you have ANY books on Strayhorn that might have a picture of the club from that era? I am trying to find a picture of the Jazz club called "Lucky's Rendezvous" and I read online that Billy Strayhorn frequented that club often and usually ended up playing the piano before the night was over. When Strayhorn died in 1967 however his partner was at his hospital bedside regardless of what nurses and doctors may have thought.īugsyPal, you seemed to have a little knowledge on Billy Strayhorn so I came looking for you. Two men living together even back in the 1950's might raise some eyebrows after awhile say outside of The West Village.īilly Strayhorn's long time white/European partner Bill Grove kept separate apartments their entire relationship. True many mixed marriages of white/black couples managed to find acceptance in NYC, but for gays they often had the added stigma. Thing about NYC African American gays and their white/European counterparts is that back in they day views on race to some extent kept "mixed" couples apart just as with opposite sex couples to an extent.