We were lucky to catch up with Victoria Horne, International Entertainer, recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Victoria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Hello, everyone. Let me introduce myself to all my fans, friends, and family and let you learn about my musical journey. This is how the press has spoken of me.
Victoria Horne’s music style is a unique blend of jazz, blues, and soul, heavily influenced by her childhood exposure to legendary vocalists like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington. Her sultry vocals and personal renditions of classic jazz pieces have earned her international recognition.
With extensive experience performing on European luxury cruise liners and in various concerts worldwide, Victoria’s style can be described as:
Jazz Vocals: Known for her pitch-perfect renditions of standards, delivered with a sly grin and smoky voice.
Blues: Her music often features bluesy elements, showcased in songs like “Let It Roll,” which she performed with Belgian pianist Renaud Patigny.
Versatile: Victoria’s training allows her to excel in multiple genres, making her a sought-after performer for various events.
Victoria is a songwriter.
Storytelling: Her music often incorporates storytelling, evident in her song “Maefield,” which takes listeners on a soulful journey through Harlem’s history and culture.
Victoria’s music career spans decades, with performances in Germany, Japan, France, and the U.S., collaborating with notable artists like Bob Dylan and Joe Turner. Her versatility and captivating stage presence have earned her a loyal following worldwide.
Might I add, Victoria Horne is also a songwriter, storyteller, and photographer. She has some of her work shown online at the Hudson Public Library in New York City.
“Victoria Horne’s Trip to Thailand” is a photo exhibition. Victoria Horne’s story has also been published in a book called Good Is Powerful Beyond Measure, with Melody McGant, featured at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center/Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center.
When I was 5 years old, I was in a show for kindergartners as a tap dancer. I was dancing to a song called “The Dark Town Strutters Ball.” When the song was over and it was time for me to leave the stage, I stayed on the stage, and my teacher had to call me to come off. I had never seen so many people in the audience before.
My mother was a jazz singer who won second prize at the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC, in the 1950s, singing the song “Don’t Worry About Me” at Amateur Night. Ralph Cooper was Master of Ceremonies.
I always wanted to make my mom proud, so I started singing. I would accompany her to her voice lessons every Saturday morning. This was my first introduction to show business.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights, and we’ve got a few more questions for you. But before we get to all of that, can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
When I was a young girl, I loved to go to the movies and to Broadway shows to see and hear musicals, like The Sound of Music, Singin’ in the Rain, She Loves Me, Promises, Promises, Purlie, Fiddler on the Roof, Funny Girl, Golden Boy, Hello, Dolly!, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Annie, and Lady Sings the Blues, just to name a few.
My first real vocal coach and teacher was Howard Hodge, who made musical arrangements for Tom Jones and many other well-known artists.
Then there was Sue Seaton, with whom I took many vocal lessons. She taught Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Robert Goulet, Bette Midler, and little Vickie Horne. This was the nickname she gave me.
I studied with Professor Edward Boatner, known to have taught Afrocentric voices of American classical music. His son was also a famous jazz musician, bebop jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt.
When I finished elementary school, high school, and a special work-study course program and graduated, I got a day job at the Canada Dry Beverage Company as a receptionist in New York City.
In the evening after work, I found a great club to perform at. It was called The Improv, owned by Budd Friedman, who launched many comedians’ careers. He also introduced singers who performed to open the show.
Like an open mic, I happened to be one of them. I was very green at that time and didn’t have much experience in front of a live audience. It was my trial and error.
There, I met and became friends with Freddie Prinze and met David Brenner, and Jimmie Walker was also one of the comedians trying out his showmanship.
Here is a list of shows I was fortunate to perform in during the early stages of my career as a singer, actress, and dancer in the USA.
Jesus Christ Superstar was on a bus-and-truck tour. Godspell was on a bus-and-truck tour, and The Prodigal Sister was a stage production at the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse Theatre in New York City.
Its founder, producer, and owner was Woodie King Jr., known for his American film and theatre work. He was a Tony Award winner for his wonderful contribution to the theatrical arts.
I owe my gratitude to these two wonderful women, Shannelle Perry, director, and Mikie Grant, singer, writer, and composer, for their guidance and influence at this time.
I also performed at Arena Stage in the production of National Health: The Me Nobody Knows in Baltimore, Maryland. The production that I was a part of included Tisha Campbell and Damon Evans.
I was a part of the musical group called The New Christy Minstrels. The Rocky Horror Show was at the Montgomery Theatre in San Francisco, CA.
There came a time in my life when I wasn’t able to find work in NYC. I thought I needed to travel.
Florida seemed like a good place to start. I began singing with local bands around Miami Beach, Florida. I landed in a great show band with the leader, Bobbie Crubella. It was a six-piece band, and I was one of the lead singers.
We were the headliners at the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Florida, among other venues.
While I was in the band, I met many affluent guests who told me that Europe might be a good place for me to get known. I took their advice.
The chance to go to London, England, came about when I met a record producer and signed a contract for one year.
I recorded my first single while in London. It was called “If It Feels Good, Baby”; the songwriter was Jack Robinson. The record label was Flamingo Records at Collin Music.
The song unfortunately didn’t hit the charts. I found myself back in NYC.
Times hadn’t changed for me when I returned home. Just like the popular song “On the Road Again,” San Francisco was calling.
I studied with Stuart Brady, a notable educator at the American Conservatory (ACT). I studied only classical voice with him. I also joined a Black Studies workshop, where Anna Beavers was the instructor.
Encouragement to keep on trying has been my main goal. I knocked on the doors of Tokyo, Japan, and stayed for several years.
My first introduction to the cabaret world was in Tokyo, Japan, with the opportunity to perform at the world-famous MIKADO Cabaret, which held over 1,000 hostesses per day. They were there to entertain the guests in the style of Japanese tradition.
At the time I was there, the Mikado was known to be the largest cabaret in the world.
While in Japan, I worked on my craft, singing almost every day at different small jazz clubs and performing with clarinet player Ei Kitamura.
I learned a few Japanese songs for Japanese audiences. I was involved in a few recording projects and TV commercials, such as 31 Ice Cream and OMEGA WATCH.
One special recording I was privileged to be a part of was titled “Sir Duke/Summer Time,” with John Kaizan Neptune. John was known for playing the bamboo flute throughout Japan.
I was meeting people from all over the world and making a name for myself in Japan.
I was featured in a major video, Bob Dylan’s “Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love).” This video is one of Dylan’s popular videos. That was a fun time.
Realizing I wasn’t going to make Japan my home, I headed back to Europe, performing in Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Norway, Belgium, Amsterdam, Holland, Vienna, Austria, and Zurich, Switzerland.
In Paris, France, I became a TV star with the song called “I Love You So Caruso,” which was originally recorded by Pavarotti in Italian. The classical opera singer sang it in Italian; I sang it in English.
The song was written by Lucio Dalla, and you can still hear my version on YouTube.
In Belgium, I performed at a blues festival alongside the Boogie Woogie pianist Renaud Patigny Trio at Dea Roquebrou A Boobie Woogie Concert.
Also, might I add, I’ve recorded two of the most recent recordings by the wonderful artist and producer Rudiger Gleisberg: “Hope” and “Autumn Sky.” You can hear them on all media platforms.
I’ve had the pleasure of performing in several dinner theaters, cabarets, well-known hotels, such as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, and the Jakarta International Hotel, and on several international TV shows around the world.
Major cruise liners became a big part of my career. That has given me the chance to see and visit a lot of the world and to travel to over 80 countries.
When I started as a production singer, I worked my way up the chain to become a featured artist aboard these European cruise lines.
It was imperative and beneficial for me to learn to sing in several languages. So it began that I learned to sing in French, Italian, German, and Spanish.
My advice to my younger self: Have a plan about what you really want in life.
Yes, follow your dreams. Listen to your inner voice and your heart; don’t let yourself be misguided. Don’t get thrown off the tracks. Stay focused. Keep your eyes on the prize.
Yes, it’s important to have that agent management company, which would be very helpful. The reality, as I have come to know it, is about the numbers, the finances, and a lot of luck!
Most of all, love what you do and love your public! And every time you’re on a stage, be the very best you can be. People appreciate honesty.
This is my conclusion. It’s a very different world now from when I first started in show business.
All in all, it’s your decision. If you aren’t ready to make sacrifices, go without a few luxuries in life, and go without some of your personal everyday needs, then I don’t believe this business is for you.
In the end, it’s your decision.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight—you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
If you want a career in show business, whether you want to be a singer, dancer, or actress, it takes dedication, discipline, patience, and endurance.
You must also be very fortunate. I should say you have to be in it to understand the struggles in the life of an unknown artist who’s just starting out in this world of showbiz, who doesn’t have a sponsor and needs to support oneself.
For example, if you are a person who doesn’t need to be concerned about paying rent and you have a secure 9-to-5 job, with insurance and health care paid for, etc., and you’re able to support yourself financially, then it’s not easy to understand or step into someone else’s shoes without these possibilities, but who has the drive to live out their dream of becoming that performer.
So they might take any type of job to keep going and survive.
To understand someone who’s struggling to make it while they are learning and studying their craft, you can’t understand the struggle of an artist. If you’re not in their world or connected to it.
Let’s talk about resilience next—do you have a story you can share with us?
Yes. Traveling in the middle of the night in a two-seater sports car, an Eclipse, fiery red, with just enough gas to get to my destination.
Leaving from Daytona Beach, just me alone, to cross over 47 bridges to reach Key West, FL, over the Atlantic Ocean and over narrow bridges, watching out for deer crossing, trying to stay awake for my morning interview for a new working position, with just a few cents in my pocket to make sure I didn’t miss my appointment.
You must be aware that it’s hurricane season. I was traveling during that season.
But in the end, I made it!
Image Credits
The photo credit of my headshot is by Paco Alacid
The photo credit of the blue and silver dress is by Ralph De Plama
The photo credit of the red dress is by Christian Aldof
The photo credit: The blue dress is by Hans Schiessler
