HELL’S KITCHEN, Manhattan (PIX11) — He’s a Broadway legend and a true New York City gem.
And now Nat Horne’s friends and neighbors are rallying round him to help him stay in his home, where he has lived for 57 years.
The walls of Nat Horne’s apartment tell the story of his long career.
The 96-year-old appeared in 11 Broadway shows with Lena Horne and Lauren Bacall, among many other stars.
He was also an original Alvin Ailey dancer and founded the Nat Horne School for Musical Theater.
But now, because of health challenges including a hip replacement, vision loss, and a dementia diagnosis, Horne needs round-the-clock in-home health care.
“I just love living here. This is my home,” Horne told PIX11 News. “I don’t know where else I would go. If they take me and put me in my home, I would die. I just like living here. It’s a lovely place to be,” he added.
Nat’s neighbors for more than half a century, former students, and friends set up a GoFundMe page called Team Nat Horne.
So far, it has raised close to $75,000, just $5,000 short of the goal.
“Nat has given so much to so many, and we appreciate that so many are giving back to him, even some people who don’t even know him,” Stanley Harrison, Nat’s friend, told PIX11 News.
Neighbor Erin Lee Kelly visits Nat regularly to sing songs with him and reminisce.
“He really makes the street a neighborhood,” Kelly, a children’s songwriter, told PIX11 News. “He is the center of our community. I’ve met so many people in the neighborhood because of Nat,” she added.
And what does Nat Horne want to say to all those who are helping him stay in his home?
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Horne said with a big smile.