Birthday: April 25, 1917

Who was Ella Fitzgerald?

Ella Fitzgerald is "The First Lady of Song," best known for her vocal talents, including an impressively wide vocal range partnered with a uniquely sweet voice and a whimsical flair to her singing. She is also very much recognized for her scat singing and her ability to mimic musical instruments. Her journey from her humble beginnings to her rise to stardom is truly a tale of success, heart, passion, love, and perseverance.

Five Facts About Ella Fitzgerald

• Ella Fitzgerald is "The First Lady of Song."
• Fitzgerald had originally aspired to be a dancer.
• Although Fitzgerald is remembered for her footing in jazz, she is also very good at taking on novelty songs and interpreting songs and adding her own flavor and twist to them. She can also sing ballads excellently.
• Fitzgerald is an international star, recognized for the sweet and whimsical tone of her voice and wide vocal range.
• Throughout her career, Fitzgerald has collected quite a list of achievements: 13 Grammy wins, 20 Grammy nominations, many honorary doctorates, the National Medal of Arts awarded by the United States President Ronald Reagan, France's Commander of Arts and Letters award, and many other prestigious awards recognizing her artistry. Throughout her career, she has also recorded at least 200 albums.

Inspirational Quotes from Ella Fitzgerald

"I was nervous as I can be at only 15 with the skinniest legs you've ever seen. I froze and got cold feet. The man in charge said that I had better do something up there, so I said I wanted to sing instead. The audience was laughing."

"I knew I wanted to sing before people for the rest of my life."

Ella Fitzgerald's Biography 

Early Life

Ella Jane Fitzgerald, better known as Ella Fitzgerald, started out in a life of simplicity. Her parents, William and Temperance, did not stay together after she was born. As a result, she grew to recognize her mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva, as her stepfather. She also has a half-sister, Frances.

Their lifestyle was simple before Fitzgerald found her spot in the entertainment industry. Joseph worked as a digger and as a part-time driver, Temperance would do catering services and work at a laundromat, and Ella worked a handful of small jobs, even with gamblers as a runner at some point.

Ella was quite sporty in her youth, having a particular fondness for baseball. During these days, she also discovered her love for singing and dancing.

Husband and Children 

Fitzgerald first married dockworker Benny Kornegay, but their marriage did not last upon Ella's discovery of Kornegay's criminal past. Annulment followed.

Fitzgerald then met musician Ray Brown in 1946, and their love resulted in a marriage, and the adoption of Ray, Jr. Fitzgerald and Brown had their fair share of ups and downs and issues of being apart quite a lot due to their work. Their eventual divorce in 1952, as unfortunate as it was, did not stop Fitzgerald and Brown from staying good friends.

Turning Point

Fitzgerald was acquainted with musician Benny Carter, who was impressed with her skills and would introduce Fitzgerald to acquaintances and connections who could give her a good start in the industry. From then on, Fitzgerald's musical journey progressed. She met Chick Webb and would begin performing with his band not long after. She adjusted to the times, to the musical trends, while still maintaining an individual and signature flair.

It was in 1938 that Fitzgerald would rise to fame. Thanks to her more whimsical rendition of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," her album sold around a million copies, rank the highest and even maintained an elevated position in the pop charts for around 4 months.

Her musical journey continued to ascend, and soon enough, she was working with Louis Armstrong and producing a songbook series. Her covers of songs by Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, and other artists became very recognized due to the beauty of the songs highlighted in her renditions. Eventually, she began appearing on television.

Her six-decade journey saw her getting award after award, recognition after recognition, honorary doctorate after honorary doctorate.

Mission and Work

Although she was most known as a great jazz singer and a vocal genius, she was quite emotionally driven to better child welfare. She was a gallant donor and supporter of organizations that took care of the youth. Such a noble cause was a big motivation for her to continue her craft, as it enabled her to continue supporting.

Death and Legacy

Diabetes took a toll on Fitzgerald, and her physical condition, which for a time did not stop her from still performing against better judgment, eventually led to the amputation of both her legs below the knees. This sad turn of events would mark her slowing down in her craft until she would be savoring the simple pleasures, her family, and the tranquility of her environment to get by.

Fitzgerald, "The First Lady of Song," died on June 15, 1996. It did not take long for messages and gestures of love and admiration to surface across the globe for her.

Fitzgerald, as she deserved it, had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Beyond that, however, she was a woman of remarkable talent and of a beautiful soul that captivated the world through song. New generations of singers would then pick up her singing style, and to this day, modern listeners could hear the influence she had on modern singers.