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Abbey Lincoln Biography

Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010), known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was an African-American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress, who wrote and performed her own compositions. She was a civil rights advocate and activist from the 1960s on. Lincoln made a career not only out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards but writing and singing her own material as well.

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Abbey Lincoln Quotes

I was in New York, miserable because I was working supper clubs but I wasn't expressing myself. I was really unhappy with my life. I saw Max Roach again and he told me I didn't have to do things like that. He made me an honest woman on the stage. I have been performing in that tradition since. I feel that I'm a serious performer now whereas then I wanted to be but I didn't know how.

Max, Music, New York, Serious, Unhappy, Working

But I've been there and done that. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody, and if somebody wants me to come, if they can afford what I ask, it's not as much as Madonna makes; not that I want what Madonna makes, but I was saying.

Ask, Done, Somebody, Trying, Want

I don't have to lay on the couch and see a therapist because my therapist is in my paint brushes.

Paint, Therapists, Couches, Couch, See

There are men and women still on the streets, and that's all they are saying Can you spare a quarter? I come from a crowd of people who were current on the outlook on life, who were social and knew where they were and had some input into how things seemed to be.

Crowd, Men, Outlook On Life, People, Saying, Spare

I am the first instrument. I am the voice. I do not imitate other instruments. Other instruments imitate me.

Imitate, Instrument, Instruments, Music, Singing, Voice

The best thing you can do is to be a woman and stand before the world and speak your heart.

Heart, Speak, Woman, World

You can never loose a thing If it belongs to you.

Belongs, Ifs, Loose, Thing

It's a spirit that was given me and the relationships and meeting all these great people, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong; through Max I met a lot of people too. My first album was with Benny Carter.

Albums, Ellington, Given, Louis, Max, People

I think that's what really a substantial work is, it's forever. It's the truth now and it was the truth then, and it will be the truth tomorrow.

Forever, Music, Thinking, Truth, Work

I was looking for the people who were making the music inside the cabinet. I would look in there and see if I could find somebody who was making all this wonderful music.

Cabinets, Looks, People, See, Somebody

We have inherited a great music. This music is a holdover. It comes with us like the skin, the texture of our hair. It's our memory banks.

Hair, Holdover, Memories, Memory, Music, Skins

Sing a song correctly and you live forever.

Correctly, Forever, Live Forever, Sing, Song