Ella Fitzgerald - Songs, Quotes and Albums (2023)

Who was Ella Fitzgerald?

Ella Fitzgerald began singing after a difficult childhood and made her debut at the Apollo Theater in 1934. Discovered at an amateur competition, she became the best jazz singer for decades. In 1958, Fitzgerald made history as the first African American woman to win a Grammy Award. Due in large part to her vocal quality, clear intonation and wide range, the singer has won a total of 13 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 40 million albums. His multi-volume "Songbooks" on Verve Records are among America's record treasures.

first years

Born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia, singer Fitzgerald was the product of a common law marriage between William Fitzgerald and Temperance "Tempie" Williams Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had a troubled childhood that began when his parents separated shortly after he was born.

Fitzgerald moved to Yonkers, New York with his mother. They lived there with their mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva. The family grew in 1923 with the arrival of Fitzgerald's half-sister Frances. Struggling financially, young Fitzgerald helped her family by working as a courier, "counting numbers" and acting as a brothel guard. Her first career aspiration was to be a dancer.

After his mother's death in 1932, Fitzgerald eventually went to live with an aunt. He started skipping school. Fitzgerald was then sent to a special reform school, but he didn't stay there long.

In 1934, Fitzgerald was trying to survive alone and living on the streets. Still dreaming of being an actress, she entered an amateur competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

In the competition, she sang the song "Judy" by Hoagy Carmichael and also "The Object of My Affection" and captivated the audience. Fitzgerald won the first prize of $25 in the competition.

career entry

This unexpected appearance at the Apollo helped launch Fitzgerald's career. He soon met bandleader and drummer Chick Webb and eventually joined the group as a vocalist.

Fitzgerald recorded "Love and Kisses" with Webb in 1935 and was a regular at one of Harlem's most popular clubs, the Savoy. Fitzgerald also released his first No. 1 hit, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" in 1938, which he co-wrote. Later that year, Fitzgerald recorded his second hit, "I Found My Yellow Basket."

In addition to his work with Webb, Fitzgerald has performed and recorded with himBenny GutmannOrchestra. She also had her own side project called Ella Fitzgerald and Her Savoy Eight.

After Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald became the leader of the band, which was renamed Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra. (Some sources refer to the group as Ella Fitzgerald and her famous band.)

Around this time, Fitzgerald was briefly married to Ben Kornegay, a convicted drug dealer and con man. They married in 1941, but she soon annulled the union.

rising star

Fitzgerald went out alone and signed a deal with Decca Records. He recorded some hits with the Ink Spots and Louis Jordan in the early 1940s.

Fitzgerald also made her film debut as Ruby in the 1942 western comedy.ride her cowboywith Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. His career really took off in 1946 when he began working with Norman Granz, later founder of Verve Records.

In the mid-1940s, Granz began Jazz at the Philharmonic, a series of live concerts and recordings featuring most of the genre's major artists. Fitzgerald also hired Granz as his manager.

Around this time, Fitzgerald was touring with themtonto Gillespieand your band He began changing his singing style and incorporating scat singing during his performances.

Fitzgerald also fell in love with Gillespie's bassist, Ray Brown. The couple married in 1947 and adopted a son by Fitzgerald's half-sister, whom they named Raymond "Ray" Brown Jr. The marriage ended in 1952.

First Lady of the song

The 1950s and 1960s were a period of great critical and commercial success for Fitzgerald, and she earned the nickname "First Lady of Song" for her widespread popularity and unparalleled singing talent. His unique ability to mimic instrumental sounds helped popularize the scattered vocal improvisation that became his signature technique.

In 1956 Fitzgerald began recording for the newly formed Verve. From 1956 he recorded some of his most popular albums for the label.Ella Fitzgerald singsCole Portersong book.

At the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1958, Fitzgerald won her first two Grammy Awards and made history as the first African American woman to win Best Single Jazz Performance and Best Female Vocal Performance for both songbook projects.Ella Fitzgerald singsduque ellingtonsong bookjElla Fitzgerald singsIrving Berlinsong book, or.(She worked directly with Ellington on the previous album.)

Fitzgerald is a truly collaborative soul and has produced great recordings with artists likeLouis ArmstrongjConde-Basis. He also appeared on several occasionsFrank Sinatraalso over the years.

In 1960, Fitzgerald broke the charts with his rendition of "Mack the Knife." It was still thriving in the 1970s, playing shows around the world. A particularly memorable concert series from this period was a 1974 two-week engagement in New York City with Sinatra and Basie.

Later years and death

In the 1980s, Fitzgerald had serious health problems. He underwent heart surgery in 1986 and suffered from diabetes. The disease blinded her and both legs were amputated in 1994.

He made his last recording in 1989 and his last public performance in 1991 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Fitzgerald died on June 15, 1996 at his Beverly Hills home.

Overall, Fitzgerald recorded over 200 albums and around 2,000 songs during his lifetime. Total record sales exceeded 40 million. His many accolades include 13 Grammy Awards, theNAACPImage Lifetime Achievement Award und Presidential Medal of Freedom.

While some critics complained that his style and voice lacked the depth of some of his more bluesy peers, his success and the respect he received from the biggest names in the music industry proved Fitzgerald was in a class of his own.

Mel Torme has described her as "the high priestess of music," according to Fitzgerald's official website, and Pearl Bailey has called her "the greatest singer of all time." ANDBing CrosbyHe once said: "Man, woman or child, she is the greatest of them all."

Since her death, Fitzgerald has been honored and remembered in many ways. The United States Postal Service honored the late singer with a postage stamp commemorating the 90th anniversary of her birth.

The tribute album was released in the same yearWe all love Ella: we celebrate the first lady of musicFeatured artists likeCaballero Gladys,Etta JamesjReina LatifahPerformance of some of Fitzgerald's classics.