Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

vocalist and songwriter. She was a

civil rights activist Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards, as well as writing and singing her own material.

Early life

Lincoln was born on August 6, 1930, in Chicago, but raised in Calvin Center, Cass County, Michigan. She was one of 12 children.

Career

Music

Lincoln was one of many singers influenced by

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

. Lincoln's 1956 debut album, '' Abbey Lincoln's Affair... A Story of a Girl in Love'', was followed by a series of albums for

Riverside Records Riverside Records was an American jazz record company and label. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer, Jr, under his firm Bill Grauer Productions in 1953, the label played an important role in the jazz record industry for a decade. Riversid ...

. In 1960, she sang on

Max Roach Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was an American jazz drummer and composer. A pioneer of bebop, he worked in many other styles of music, and is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history. He wo ...

's landmark

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...

-themed recording '' We Insist!'' (subtitled ''Freedom Now Suite''), "regarded as the earliest full-scale protest record in jazz", as historian

Nat Hentoff Nathan Irving Hentoff (June 10, 1925 – January 7, 2017) was an American historian, novelist, jazz and country music critic, and syndicated columnist for United Media. Hentoff was a columnist for ''The Village Voice'' from 1958 to 2009. F ...

observed. Lincoln's lyrics were often connected to the civil rights movement in America. In 1970, the short film ''Max and Abbey'' profiled Lincoln as a composer, vocalist, actress, writer, and activist, as well as Roach's creative partner.

Stan Lathan Stan Lathan (born July 8, 1945) is an American television and film director and television producer. He is executive producer and director of Black Entertainment Television, BET's ''Real Husbands of Hollywood''. He has produced and directed nume ...

directed the documentary, broadcast on '' Black Journal''. After a tour of Africa in the mid-1970s, she adopted the name Aminata Moseka. During the 1980s, Lincoln's creative output was smaller and she released only a few albums. Her song " For All We Know" is featured in the 1989 film '' Drugstore Cowboy''. During the 1990s and until her death, she fulfilled a 10-album contract with

Verve Records Verve Records is an active American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ca ...

. These albums are highly regarded and represent a crowning achievement in Lincoln's career. '' Devil's Got Your Tongue'' (1992) featured

Rodney Kendrick Rodney Kendrick (born April 30, 1958) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and record producer. He has been described as a "hard swinging player and composer with a delightful Monkish wit and drive". Career At twenty-one, Kendrick began a prima ...

Grady Tate Grady Tate (January 14, 1932 – October 8, 2017) was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate released many albums as leader and lent his voice to songs in the animated ''Schoolhou ...

, Yoron Israel, J. J. Johnson,

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist and record producer. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note Reco ...

Babatunde Olatunji Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Early life Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nig ...

and

The Staple Singers The Staple Singers were an American Gospel music, gospel, soul music, soul, and Rhythm and blues, R&B singing group. Pops Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples (December 28, 1914 – December 19, 2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group w ...

, among others. In 2003, Lincoln received a

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

Jazz Master Award. Her lyrics often reflected the ideals of the civil rights movement and helped in generating passion for the cause in the minds of her listeners. In addition to her musical career, she ventured into acting as well and appeared in movies such as ''

The Girl Can't Help It ''The Girl Can't Help It'' is a 1956 American musical comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield in the lead role, Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien, Henry Jones, and Julie London. The picture was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenpla ...

'' (1958), '' Nothing But a Man'' (1964) and '' For Love of Ivy'' (1968). Lincoln explored more philosophical themes during the later years of her songwriting career and remained professionally active until well into her seventies. She often visited the

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

jazz club in New York City.

Acting

Greg Morris Abbey Lincoln Mission Impossible 1970

In 1956, Lincoln appeared in ''

'' —for which she wore a dress that had been worn by

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

in '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1953)—and interpreted "Spread the World, Spread the Gospel", working with

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

. With Ivan Dixon, she co-starred in '' Nothing But a Man'' (1964), an independent film written and directed by

Michael Roemer Michael Roemer (January 1, 1928 – May 20, 2025) was a German-born American film director, producer and writer. He won several awards for his films, which include '' Nothing But a Man'' and '' The Plot Against Harry''. He was the recipient of a ...

. In 1968, she co-starred with

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Among his ot ...

and

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor. He is a three-time Emmy Award, Emmy, two-time Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nomine ...

in '' For Love of Ivy'', and she received a 1969

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

nomination for her appearance in the film. Lincoln's television appearances began in 1968 with '' The Name of the Game''. In March 1969, she appeared in Alice Childress's ''Wine in the Wilderness'', the first of the 10-episode series "On Being Black" presented by WGBH-TV Boston, featuring individual dramas written, produced and performed by Blacks. Lincoln appeared in '' Mission: Impossible'' (1971), the TV movie ''Short Walk to Daylight'' (1972), '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'' (1974), and ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American sitcoms in the United States, sitcom television series that aired on CBS for nine seasons from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979, with a total of 205 episodes. It was later produced as ''Archie Bunker's Pla ...

'' (1978). In the 1990

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

movie ''

Mo' Better Blues ''Mo' Better Blues'' is a 1990 American musical comedy-drama film starring Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, and Spike Lee, who also wrote, produced, and directed. It follows a period in the life of fictional jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam (playe ...

'', Lincoln played the young Bleek's mother Lillian.

Personal life

Lincoln was married from 1962 to 1970 to drummer

, whose daughter from a previous marriage, Maxine, appeared on several of Lincoln's albums. Lincoln opened a national conversation by highlighting natural hair. Lincoln produced the "Naturally 62" fashion show, which featured Grandassa models wearing natural hair. Before the mid-1960s, African-American women were expected to straighten their hair with the use of a

hot comb A hot comb (also known as a straightening comb or pressing comb) is a metal comb that is used to straighten moderate or coarse hair and create a smoother hair texture. A hot comb is heated and used to straighten the hair from the roots. It can b ...

. This fashion show aligned with the "

Black is beautiful Black is beautiful is a cultural movement that was started in the United States in the 1960s by African Americans. It later spread beyond the United States, most prominently in the writings of the Black Consciousness Movement of Steve Biko ...

" movement that celebrated natural black beauty. In 2007, Lincoln had open-heart surgery. Lincoln died on August 14, 2010, in Manhattan, New York, eight days after her 80th birthday. Her death was announced by her brother, David Wooldridge, who told ''The New York Times'' that she had died in a Manhattan nursing home after suffering deteriorating health since undergoing open-heart surgery in 2007. No cause of death was officially given. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered.Notice of death of Abbey Lincoln
Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved August 2010.

Discography

As leader

* '' Abbey Lincoln's Affair... A Story of a Girl in Love'' (Liberty, 1957) * '' That's Him!'' (Riverside, 1958) – rec. 1957 * '' It's Magic'' (Riverside, 1958) * '' Abbey Is Blue'' (Riverside, 1959) * '' Straight Ahead'' (Candid, 1961) * '' People in Me'' (Philips, 1973) * ''Live in Misty'' (Kiva, 1973) * ''Golden Lady'' (Inner City, 1981) * ''Talking to the Sun'' (Enja, 1984) * ''Abbey Sings Billie'' (Enja, 1989) * ''The World Is Falling Down'' (Verve, 1990) * '' You Gotta Pay the Band'' with

Stan Getz Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wis ...

(Verve, 1991) * '' Devil's Got Your Tongue'' (Verve, 1992) * ''Abbey Sings Billie Volume 2'' (Enja, 1992) * ''When There Is Love'' with Hank Jones (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 1993) * ''Live/Music Is the Magic'' (ITM, 1994) * '' A Turtle's Dream'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 1995) * '' Who Used to Dance'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 1997) * '' Wholly Earth'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 1998

999 999 or triple nine most often refers to: * 999 (emergency telephone number), a telephone number for the emergency services in several countries * 999 (number), an integer * AD 999, a year * 999 BC, a year Media Books * 999 (anthology), ''99 ...

* '' Over the Years'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 2000) * '' It's Me'' (Verve/Gitanes Jazz, 2003) – rec. 2002–03 * '' Abbey Sings Abbey'' (Verve/Universal, 2007) – rec. 2006 * '' Sophisticated Abbey: Live at the Keystone Korner'' (HighNote, 2015) – live rec. 1980 * '' Love Having You Around: Live at the Keystone Korner Vol. 2'' (HighNote, 2016) – live rec. 1980

As co-leader

* ''Sessions, Live'' with Buddy Collette and Les Thompson (Calliope, 1957–1958

976 Year 976 ( CMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * January 10 – Emperor John I Tzimiskes dies at Constantinople, after returning from a second campaign against ...

* ''Love for Sale'' with Max Roach (West Wind, 1960

* ''Sounds as a Roach'' with Max Roach (Joker, 1968

977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman manage to escape from captivity in Const ...

* ''Painted Lady'' with

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

(ITM, 1980 987

As guest

With

* '' Moon Faced and Starry Eyed'' (Mercury, 1959) * '' We Insist! Freedom Now Suite'' (Candid, 1960) * '' Percussion Bitter Sweet'' (Impulse!, 1961) * '' It's Time'' (Impulse!, 1962) With others *

Eric Dolphy Eric Allan Dolphy Jr. (June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Primarily an alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist, and flautist, Dolphy was one of several multi-instrumentalists to gain ...

and

Benny Bailey Ernest Harold "Benny" Bailey (August 13, 1925 – April 14, 2005) was an American jazz trumpeter. Biography A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Bailey briefly studied flute and piano before turning to trumpet. He attended the Cleveland Conserva ...

, '' Newport Rebels'' (Candid, 1961) *

Frank Morgan Francis Phillip Wuppermann (June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949), known professionally as Frank Morgan, was an American character actor. He was best known for his appearances in films starting in the silent era in 1916, and then numerous sound ...

, '' A Lovesome Thing'' (Antilles, 1991) * Bheki Mseleku, ''Timelessness'' (Verve, 1994) *

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

, ''Soul Eyes'' (BMG/RCA Victor, 1997) *

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

, '' The Maestro'' (Muse, 1981) * Steve Williamson, '' A Waltz for Grace'' (Verve, 1990)

References

External links

*
Bio at Verve Records

Abbey Lincoln Discography
at JazzDiscography.com
Abbey Lincoln at NPR Music
��articles in the archive of NPR

Tribute and image {{DEFAULTSORT:Lincoln, Abbey 1930 births 2010 deaths 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers African-American women singer-songwriters American Ahmadis American jazz singers American women jazz singers American women singer-songwriters Candid Records artists Capitol Records artists Enja Records artists HighNote Records artists Inner City Records artists Jazz musicians from Illinois Jazz musicians from Michigan Liberty Records artists Musicians from Chicago Muslims from Illinois Muslims from Michigan People from Cass County, Michigan Riverside Records artists Singer-songwriters from Illinois Singer-songwriters from Michigan Verve Records artists DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members NEA Jazz Masters