Renowned author Gail Lumet Buckley, daughter of legendary singer Lena Horne and chronicler of her family’s remarkable history, passed away on July 18 at her home in Santa Monica, California. She was 86.
Heart failure was the cause of death, according to her daughter, Jenny Lumet, a screenwriter and film and television producer.
Gail’s journey as a family historian began in the early 1980s when her mother asked her to store an old trunk in her basement. The trunk, once belonging to Lena Horne’s father, Edwin Jr. (Teddy), was a treasure trove of family artifacts spanning six generations. Its contents – photographs, letters, bills, notes, speakeasy tickets, gambling receipts, and college diplomas – would become the foundation of Gail’s life’s work.
Inspired by the trunk’s secrets, Gail wrote “The Hornes: An American Family” (1986), a multigenerational chronicle of her family’s history. This seminal work celebrated the achievements and experiences of her ambitious Black middle-class family, tracing their roots back to Sinai Reynolds, who was born into slavery around 1777 and bravely bought her freedom in 1859.
Buckley’s book will forever be a lasting legacy that will continue to educate and inspire future generations.
