| Ella's Biography |
| Ella Fitzgerald was celebrated as one of the most influential jazz singers of her generation. She was at times refered to as the "First Lady Of Song". She introduced jazz to a mainstream audience & embraced American music including blues, pop, opera, Broadway & Hollywood Showtunes. Ira Gershwin was once quoted as saying, "I never realized just how good our songs were until I heard them sung by Ella Fitzgerald". She had a warm clear & vibrant voice & became most popular for her artistry in scat singing. Ella was awarded w/ 13 Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts & many honorary docterate degrees from such Universities as Dartmouth & Yale. Ella was born April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. She wanted to be a dancer & she performed in local clubs in New York (where she moved w/ her mother & step father). But, she was recognized later on not for her dancing but for her voice. She was to perform a dance number in the Apollo Theatre , but because she saw the reaction of the crowd for two dancers before her; she became greatly intimidated. She decided instead to perform two of her mother's favorite songs, "The Object Of My Affection" & " Judy". She won first prize for her performance. Chick Webb, hired her after she was rejected by Fletcher Henderson, whom although impressed by her was unwilling to take the chance. She soon became a valuable addition to his band due to her outstanding popularity w/ audiences. In 1935 she made her 1st recording w/ Webb, "Love & Kisses" for Decca Records Label. Three years later at 21 yrs. old she was America's most popular female vocalist w/ "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" which she made up from a childhood game & nursery ryhme. It stayed on top of Hit Parade for 19 weeks. In 1939, Webb died & Ella led the band renamed, "Ella Fitzgerald & Her Famous Orchestra" She left the band in 1942 to pursue her solo career, now being influenced by bebop artist like Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker. In 1945 she recorded "Flying Home" being one of the most influential vocal jazz records of it's time because of her incredible scat singing. Two years later she released a bebop version of The Gershwin's "Lady Be Good". Although she then recorded only lightweight novelty songs, Fitzgerald's concert performances secured her reputation as a jazz vocalist of the day. She toured w/ Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic series. Her performance of "How High The Moon" was considered the signature tune of the series which included such greats as Gillespie, Roy Eldrige, Coleman Hawkins & Lester Young. Later she signed w/ her personal manager's (Granz) new label, Verve. They then collaborated in, "The Cole Porter Songbook"(1956). She followed it by "songbooks" of Irving Berling, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, The Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rogers & Lorenz Hart. She continued w/ Verve but also Capitol Records & then in the 70's & 80's she recorded many albums w/ Pablo Records. She also appeared in two major musicals, Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) & potrait of the 1920's jazz age, St. Louis Blues (1958). Ella Fitzgerald married in 1941 to Benny Kornegay & anulled in mid-1942. She married again in 1947 to Ray Brown (jazz bassist) & they adopted a son, Ray Jr. . In 1953 they divorced but continued to perform together. The last years of her life she was in very poor health. Due to diabetes in 1993 both of her legs were amputated below the knee. She refused to be seen in public after this. Ella later died in her Beverly Hills home, June 15, 1996 at 79 years of age. SHE'S GREATLY MISSED ! (All information from World Book TM ) |
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