Ella FitzgeraldElla Fitzgerald should have a place on any self-respecting jazz website, and ours is no different.Ella's voice has earned her legendary status not only in the jazz world, but in musical history (and quite rightly, I think!) Born on April 25 1917, Ella Fitzgerald started life with humble beginnings. She was raised by her mother and step - father and took on odd-jobs to help support the family. She had a passion for music and dancing and enjoyed going to the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, where she had her first experience as a singer. In 1934, she was picked to compete in the theatre's amateur night and soon won the audience with her rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's, Judy. Orchestra leader, Chick Webb, happened to be in the audience that night, and though initially hesitant about bringing Fitzgerald on board, was soon swayed when he saw how well she was received at Yale University. The students loved her and so too, it seemed, did the public. Just four years later, at the tender age of 21, Ella found fame with her version of A-Tisket, A-Tasket. The album went to the top of the charts for 17 weeks, having sold one million copies. After Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald was left with the daunting task of leading the band. Her career continued to go from strength to strength, and whilst working with Dizzy Gillespie's band, was signed with major producer, Norman Ganz, a move which gained her international reknown. During the 50's and 60's Ella played with some of the greatest jazz legends of all time, appearing on TV, in theatres and some of the most prestigious nightclubs around. Marilyn Monroe asked the owner of the Mocambo Nightclub that Ella Fitzgerald be booked, an agreement which was honoured and in return Monroe occupied a front table every night. The pressures of work however, did not go unnoticed. Ella had two failed marriages and in the 1970's, began showing signs of ill health. Not that that induced her to slow down however, as she had a passion for child welfare as well as singing jazz. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1987. Though by the end of the 80's, Fitzgerald had undregone a quintuple coronary bypass and was suffering from diabetes, a condition which was affecting her eyesight, she was still performing in the dacade that followed. By 1990 she had recorded over 200 albums and a year later gave her 26th performance at Carnegie Hall. But ill health finally took its toll. At the age of 76, Ella had to have both her legs amputated and on June 15, 1996 she died at her home in Beverly Hills. It was a tragic loss to the music world, but there is no question that Ella Fitzgerlad really gave all she could and more. Her music is still as popular today as it ever was and Ella Fitzgerald will, quite justifiably, be forever remembered as the First Lady of Song. Return from Ella Fitzgerald to Jazz Singers
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