Ella Fitzgerald was born in 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. After her parents separated she went to live with her mother and her mother's boyfriend. After her mother died, Fitzgerald was in a traumatized state; her grades dropped and she began to skip school. Abused by her step-father, she left to live with her aunt. After a series of bad decisions and job choices, she was taken to the Colored Orphan Asylum in Riverdale, Bronx New York. Since it was so overcrowded, she had to be moved to the New York Training School for Girls, a state reformatory. She later ran away and lived in New York, homeless.
"It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts."-Ella Fitzgerald
Her career began when her name was drawn to perform at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York on Amateur Night. She went to the theater with plans to dance. She later changed her mind thinking that act would not compare to the other performances, so she decided to sing. After hearing her remarkable voice, it was no surprise that she was quickly approached by Benny Carter. Benny introduced her to many people and her career took off. Her life has inspired many, it was a huge accomplishment for a black woman to become so famous and accepted in such restricted times.
"She made the mark for all female singers, especially black female singers, in our industry." - Dionne Warwick
As a child, Ella Fitzgerald idolized the lead singer Connee Boswell later saying, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it....I tried so hard to sound just like her."
"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."-Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald received these awards, among others:
She was called "The First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of Jazz." She is considered one of the best singers in the history of jazz and she sang with a range and energy that is yet to be matched.
"She had a vocal range so wide you needed an elevator to go from the top to the bottom. There's nobody to take her place." - David Brinkley
Already suffering from cataracts, in the 1980's Ella Fitzgerald developed diabetes and had open-heart surgery. In 1993 both of her legs were amputated because of complications with her diabetes. In 1996, at the age of 79, she died in her home in Beverly Hills, ending a remarkable career built around a voice that continues to inspire people to this day.
http://jazz.about.com/od/classicjazzartists/p/EllaFitzgerald.htm
"It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts."-Ella Fitzgerald
Her career began when her name was drawn to perform at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York on Amateur Night. She went to the theater with plans to dance. She later changed her mind thinking that act would not compare to the other performances, so she decided to sing. After hearing her remarkable voice, it was no surprise that she was quickly approached by Benny Carter. Benny introduced her to many people and her career took off. Her life has inspired many, it was a huge accomplishment for a black woman to become so famous and accepted in such restricted times.
"She made the mark for all female singers, especially black female singers, in our industry." - Dionne Warwick
As a child, Ella Fitzgerald idolized the lead singer Connee Boswell later saying, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it....I tried so hard to sound just like her."
"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."-Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald received these awards, among others:
- American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) highest honor (1965)
- Bing Crosby Lifetime Achievement Award (1967)
- Honorary Doctorates from Harvard University, Yale University, Dartmouth, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Howard University and Princeton
- President Ronald Reagan awarded Ella the National Medal of Arts. (1987)
She was called "The First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of Jazz." She is considered one of the best singers in the history of jazz and she sang with a range and energy that is yet to be matched.
"She had a vocal range so wide you needed an elevator to go from the top to the bottom. There's nobody to take her place." - David Brinkley
Already suffering from cataracts, in the 1980's Ella Fitzgerald developed diabetes and had open-heart surgery. In 1993 both of her legs were amputated because of complications with her diabetes. In 1996, at the age of 79, she died in her home in Beverly Hills, ending a remarkable career built around a voice that continues to inspire people to this day.
http://jazz.about.com/od/classicjazzartists/p/EllaFitzgerald.htm