Lincoln's Emancipation

After soaring in the 1960s, singer Abbey Lincoln plunged into obscurity. Now her jazzy message of black self-esteem has put her back atop the charts.

Her name is Abbey Lincoln, but she also answers to Aminata Moseka when the spirit moves her. She started out as Anna Marie Wooldridge, then became Gaby Lee and, for a time, Mrs. Max Roach. If all these shifts in appellation suggest a life that has gone through many changes, that's hardly the whole story. They also indicate that this remarkable singer's managers have tried several times to reinvent her to suit themselves. Talking with her now, it is difficult to believe such a self-consciously independent woman would permit anyone to tinker with her name, much less something as precious as...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!