Lena Horne tribute at Winks Lodge
Fundraiser for historic property
On Saturday, August 28, from noon-4 p.m., Beckwourth Outdoors hosted a celebratory tribute to the legendary black actress and singer Lena Horne (1917-2010) as a fundraiser for the restoration of Winks Lodge, located in the Lincoln Hills Country Club Development off Pactolus Road in Gilpin County.
Winks Lodge was established in 1922 as an all black community resort by Denver resident Obrey Wendell “Winks” Hamlet. The resort bears a unique cultural history and was open to guests during the summer and early fall months.
The tribute was an engaging afternoon of good food and great entertainment, probably reminiscent in style of the glory days of the 1920s and ‘30s when dozens of African-Americans would gather at Winks Lodge to relax freely in the peaceful mountain setting.
The likes of musical legends Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and – of course – Lena Horne came to this comfortable and safe haven to enjoy a place of their own. During the years of the Jim Crow laws (1876-1965) which resulted in discrimination and segregation in the United States, Winks Lodge was considered an “oasis against harsh times.”
The main event of the tribute was a historical narrative performed in a theatrical manner by Donnie L. Betts of No Credits Productions, Inc., a film and video production company headquartered in Denver.
Singer Ayo Awosika and violinist Niccolo Casewit acoustically accompanied Betts with complementary music woven throughout the presentation. Ayo crooned beautiful renditions of Horne’s famous signature song, “Stormy Weather,” and another Horne favorite, “Honeysuckle Rose.”
Betts narrated an inspirational history of Horne’s life, detailing the challenges she faced, and her myriad accomplishments, as a beautiful, talented black woman during the times of segregation.
Horne may have played to packed audiences at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver and the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, but she would not have been allowed to lodge there overnight in either hotel at the time, regardless of her fame or stature in Hollywood because of her race.
The tribute may have been similar to listening to a first-class production on the radio back in its golden years of the 1930s to the ‘50s, as the Lodge’s guests would have done during their easy visits. Betts paid tribute to Horne at the end of his presentation by simply saying, “There will never be another Lena.”
Beckwourth Outdoors is the known name for the James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club founded in 1993 in Denver. A State Historical Fund acquisition grant allowed the Club to purchase Winks Lodge in 2006. Part of the Club’s mission is to educate the public about the contributions of people-of-color to the West. Once restored, the Lodge will be available for rental to host special events and outdoor activities.
Beckwourth Fundraising Chairman, Gary M. Jackson, said that this was the first presentation of their “annual Lena Horne Classic” tribute. Beckwourth Board Chairman Stephen “Wink” Shepard was also at the tribute, enjoying talking to the guests about the Lodge and its history.
To make a donation to the Winks Lodge restoration, please call Jackson at 303-320-4848 or visit the organization’s website at www.beckwourthoutdoors.org. As Jackson remarked, “We all need to be good stewards of our history.”