Lena / interviewed by Gene Dealessi.

What brings you Lena. Concomitant with the publication of her autobiography by Doubleday. She talks from sand hill. My name is Jean. Explanation. Nitty gritty. Thing I think it is true.

Thanks man. That's laugh then. There really is left. It could be the. US scale of half but. Not even a skeleton that. Left Grady matter. Yes that's not a good phrase it covers a lot of territory. You mention a phrase which I'm trying to locate in my notes. But it was an equation between. People poverty stricken situations are

best suited to become gourmet. Exactly and when you mention that you liked chickens which chitterlings I was amazed. Do you know in fact you know I really like them yes I do and I had them of course when I was a little girl in the south and I also had them in the north when I was a little girl and I had them when I was a grown woman and many places and I had them in France and I didn't. Go the same way they were in fact put into beautiful sausage and I kept buying and I said What is this let you know and I finally realized. How much is 11 times 12. You know what I was wondering about your problem with Maddox which you mention.

Well the reviews are tricky to read the book. Everyone I have a block. Now and I have wondered about that and happened of course that my father was a gambler and of course my mother said that that helped to break up their marriage. And I consequently was never able to do a card game. You know Tom can again play backstage with musicians and. And then my grandmother who was an impoverished warm on suffragette wonderful really didn't think that my name was and she didn't think that materialistic values put upon money was something that was as important as. And treated with dignity as a human being. And all the

women in my family. About this. It's a consequence of your action in life. That's true. And so much about this makes that a lot. You mention the word numbers and this is not a psychoanalytic time with your father. Yes. Can you tell us about your numbers. My father. My father. To

survive and this and it is that. Educated and had the job. That and. Less talent than you so now. Attitude. And. Rather than. Explain the employer

and. Employee springlike. I'm. A cop and I can't. He could be a grown man is always the problem is the white man. I work for the Cotton Club in Harlem the Cotton Club garish former speaker which cater to the white community. Although it was located on Lenox Avenue A Hundred and Forty second Street. Jim

and back. And I'm writing a book because that the place that the showcase talent and one had to have some place to show its creativity. Duke Ellington Cab Calloway a great asset. People finally worked. A roof and a cabaret That was a little better than a basement downstairs somewhere and not a chance. I bought on the other hand I was taught that. Bad working conditions little no respect paid to creative and now people

want to say too much about one and then we get our man fired. Waiters. How one would get all the girls. I took care of their families by work and trap a joint as you called the toilet. Yes I think that's true. That's a show. Interesting question at this point is how did you get there you were 16. Because your former which were difficult. My friends. Dedicated a person who had no place to act. How they wanted Philadelphia one in Washington one in New York where a negro actress that she you know

kept around the sow along with every other traveling say no place to work and I then came along. And had to go to work. I had quit school. She was and she. Took me there to be audacious. And that's where. I had to work. I have a. Very. Good day. Teacher Do you think. You will.

Have to be good. And if you can then. Be a teacher especially if you haven't had the education of a the teacher. And especially if your parents had no money to make you anything. Mine had not. So I went into the. Yeah. Yeah three direction. That's right society. So can the rich. Yes it does. I guess I. Have had a very famous he was a. Very famous negro regiment first. Here and a man named Jim. And. When. They had been taken. By the castle Castle and so they took it all over Europe and played for dances and the novel became the. Stick Man in my life when I was

17 1/2 18 years old I went to work with. We played middle class Negro people white people. On the road. And towns. And he. Tell me said to me you must be a lady now. I go. To class because she has money and is waited on by people I mean any of the stereotyped. Negro characters. Be neat and clean and matter to be accepted for the sake of helping us. Grow.

I was trained to be many things many feelings of my puritanical kind of. The right phrase at the same time you were hustling on stage asking people do you want. That's frozen your feelings of being toward the inner conflicts that resulted in a lot of anger. It was an episode in Cincinnati highlights about a. Guy here at a place called. God. And. I said hang up. I hang up first. So

I had this job and I had to go to the hospital and he said to me from the band you know. I used to just sit around the barrel. Bounce around the chair and get up. So here I was having to be the leader. If not we lose that job. I said but one of the men can be the leader he said. Here again you see. From the. Swing in Iraq from the man I knew at the first. In the race you know and in fact I think one of the. But anyway yeah all right we did I do the job that they didn't let people in when I go along. Along with the fact that we were the first band to. Night the night Schmeling.

And I had never thought too much about prize that I had seen once. And that night the guys had the radio on tax day and we were going off to set this thing and that was the station paying much attention. I don't know whether you're a member of that five but that night I remember I was cry and the man. Kind of a kind. On this anger and this terrible beating. And she said

and she said if you don't know this man. And that's. It I didn't know what she should wear. What I said and I think that's the first time I remember. How. Strange to get that struck by. The symbolic station.

Of the man. Kind of free trolley symbol for the woman. Or do you see yourself where you see any man in this position. Fighting in the masculine strength in the body position. Going into me then you know. I look at that. You never felt as pure.

As that. And so you kept yourself you know on this you kept this you tried to keep this purity of course clouded all of that but you tried to keep this thing for yourself. And that's why I just kind of us trying to make this shell this so that they could get to the last thing I had left my. Now that was one. I had to keep. What I was referring to in the last question when you were as you phrase it placed the pillars and you were because you broke barriers for other performers at that time of your life is especially interesting. The reason I mentioned you was a symbol.

Let me put it this way. Is that you a representation of what the sophisticated kind of the community wanted to provide. Makes sense. Yes they want to catch a. Patients First to get them. But I was just come to life. Seem to be as right to the people who had to accept any kind of caricature just one time or yes step an action and so far as to what.

Is being said to be being negro. It's funny I often wonder what a director's going to say nowadays to someone on stage act like what is that. As I find even in my own family. Hardly any of us that. Same way. But anyway the people at that time particularly. That kind of trap had a right to resent me very much and. On the other hand. I certainly couldn't. I was never allowed to act the white person. I know I could be cut out of the scene if it

went to places. So. Now. 31 years ago I was doing all of the details personally to your relationship. It's true that you encountered during that relationship and you can listen to the summary. I think you must mean the fact that I said the cruelest act of prejudice is what being a negro man at that particular time and in my mouth to the

case. I did to marriage I said that they and they could tease and they any clue to his own being a negro man out in the street working on his job and what he had to put out there made him when he came home. A man that demanded for strength I don't know whether there were but I mean it's almost like Atlas from the Negro. She had to be the boss and he. Was seen to go outside sometimes and he won't get

tired of being that awful. And being a wife and being tender and being loving and being and taken the meeting that Mr. Chattaway showed up taken and I think that's the cruelest thing I was completely. And equipped for it and that was my first marriage and I was a very bad why. Because I had to marriage to get away from. Nobody had. Nothing and for me and

for some 19 years 20 which was cool and resulted in the devastating devastating episode The hospital gave birth to your daughter. I guess the entire book. So let's skip to another five years. Or one. CHARLIE BARNETT insiders. Was part of the match. Well Charlie would be. So mad mad I don't know how it.

Came from. Charlie was a madman and fine sand. He was a brilliant musician. He was the kind of. Person that. They care so much about their music that they really don't. And. In fact they and it still is a. One off. To have to accept the apology. He had their respect as if he had given a job to how I say. And I tell you Larry I think you know and. You see.

How tough she was. When I think you realize how tough. This can be. And they killed. You. Anyway she couldn't take it. Going back. To standing. They let me. I had to stand and they gave me when I couldn't then they would come out with me on the road when I'm. Sitting up on the bandstand with those white and. Commiserated when I wouldn't be in a restaurant. You know. I had the strength. Of sadness and great guy. I had two babies and I. Need to work.

Unfortunately my only example in the same position really had no help. From a strange girl. I was going to a cabaret that never did get out. But when I did get a job and cashed. I. Had to get a place for babies and the management of. This place in their name and we. Did you know and I am. Already. Doing the job and everything and

didn't remember to think like every time. You get you know and I had just let my guard slip a minute and the next thing I knew there was a petition. To get the place and I. Didn't realize it right across the street from. Everything and people fighting and. I didn't realize it. And I didn't realize he lived there. Friends came and. Got just about. Got. There and he said get to. Do anything.

Have you all. And then. I realized you know. Absolutely. Man I want to talk about personalities and equate them with your life. Nineteen sixty six. Josh White All right. Call me about it. I had always had. This kind of pride because my grandmother had said that she never told. Me. Background one didn't talk about it you see. And I was getting. That middle class trap

that might have a job who didn't speak about it. Also I even time I was 16 at all. But he never told me the reason why I had a right to some of that crowd. The first. Was off a little who chased off the street and she resists. She was really nobody ever said why she. Should tell me. She felt she had a right to. And she made this expression so me be

nice to me. Well you know I've read it and never learned it in school they don't teach history. I couldn't do anything unless I really had moved by then from the south and had been with me. People were terrified you know and I couldn't do anything about it. And he didn't talk to me as they seem pretty. Good to me. And that's why I always and I didn't even even speak to me as a Negro. And so I grew to think that. And Josh taught me. Saying about it and I couldn't say.

You know when I was fighting. Him from. Now on so I felt bad. But by 1966. I found. Myself. Said to me. Except you know we we we history we and we we Because everything. So. I don't think I could have felt. That kind of. Like. Alabama. Children if I had had. And.

I wasn't thrown into it like a liberal. I have the fans of identification was particularly socially significant and I'm glad he's going to play. Thanks Thanks

Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks. Thanks thanks. Thanks thanks thanks thanks. Thanks thanks thanks thanks. Thanks

Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks. Thanks. Thanks thanks. Thanks thanks. Thanks. Thanks thanks thanks thanks. Thanks thanks. Thanks.

Thanks thanks. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. I

guess that Frank's hardest working. Person. Thanks.

Or.