Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. Ella Fitzgerald, November 1946. Date Accessed. Ella Fitzgerald - Wikipedia In 1991, she gave her final concert at New Yorks renowned Carnegie Hall. The New York Times wrote in 1996, "These albums were among the first pop records to devote such serious attention to individual songwriters, and they were instrumental in establishing the pop album as a vehicle for serious musical exploration. Occupation Singer Family Father - William Fitzgerald Mother - Temperance "Tempie" (Williams) Others - Frances da Silva (Half-Sister) Manager Moe Gale and Norman Granz served as Ella Fitzgerald's managers. She never knew her father, William Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. Her, This page was last edited on 26 April 2023, at 20:02. About Ella Fitzgerald - Free Essay Example | WritingUniverse Fitzgerald was a great student. Ella Fitzgerald 1917 1996 Ella Fitzgerald in Biographical Summaries of Notable People Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25 1917, in Newport News, to William Fitzgerald and Temperance Fitzgerald . her sons name was ray jr. ella's sister Frances still did take care of ray jr. but he was in ella's custody . These partnerships produced some of her best-known songs such as "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Cheek to Cheek", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)". [78], Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy Awards,[79] and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1967. Perhaps nave to the circumstances, Ella worked as a runner for local gamblers, picking up their bets and dropping off money. Upon learning that Kornegay had a criminal history, Ella realized that the relationship was a mistake and had the marriage annulled. Ella Fitzgerald Facts for Kids - Kiddle The family grew in 1923 with the arrival of Fitzgerald's half-sister Frances. It was there that Ella first met drummer and bandleader Chick Webb. The statue's location is one of 14 tour stops on the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County. She drew inspiration from Connee Boswell of The Boswell Sisters, one of her mothers favorite groups, and sang the song Judy by Hoagy Carmichael. The 1940s ushered in the bebop style of jazz; Fitzgerald adopted it and excelled. From 1956-1964, she recorded covers of other musicians albums, including those by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart. Ella continued to work as hard as she had early on in her career, despite the ill effects on her health. Ella Fitzgerald. National Womens History Museum. Ella Fitzgerald - Early Life Over the next five years she flitted between Atlantic, Capitol and Reprise. When her diabetes forced her to have both of her legs amputated, she traded the stage for sitting in her backyard with her son and granddaughter, Alice. She was the daughter of William Fitzgerald and Temperance "Tempie" Henry, both described as "mulatto" in the 1920 census. Fitzgerald also recorded albums exclusively devoted to the songs of Porter and Gershwin in 1972 and 1983; the albums being, respectively, Ella Loves Cole and Nice Work If You Can Get It. Fitzgerald took on the role of bandleader and recorded over 150 songs between 1935 and 1942. Their apartment was in a mixed neighborhood, where Ella made friends easily. [70][73], In 1993, Fitzgerald established the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation focusing on charitable grants for four major categories: academic opportunities for children, music education, basic care needs for the less fortunate, medical research revolving around diabetes, heart disease, and vision impairment. Fitzgerald's half-sister, Frances Da Silva, was born in 1923. Together they adopted a child born to Fitzgerald's half-sister, Frances, whom they christened Ray Brown Jr. With Fitzgerald and Brown often busy touring and recording, the child was largely raised by his mother's aunt, Virginia. United Kingdom. She asked the band to play Hoagy Carmichaels Judy, a song she knew well because Connee Boswells rendition of it was among Tempies favorites. She recorded several albums with piano accompaniment, but a guitar proved the perfect melodic foil for her. [79], Other major awards and honors she received during her career were the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Medal of Honor Award, National Medal of Art, first Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award (named "Ella" in her honor), Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement, UCLA Spring Sing, and the UCLA Medal (1987). Bridgewater's album Dear Ella (1997) featured many musicians that were closely associated with Fitzgerald during her career, including the pianist Lou Levy, the trumpeter Benny Powell, and Fitzgerald's second husband, double bassist Ray Brown. Fitzgerald had a number of famous jazz musicians and soloists as sidemen over her long career. In tribute, the marquee read: "Ella We Will Miss You. Accessed March 20, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ella-Fitzgerald. In 2008, the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News named its new 276-seat theater the Ella Fitzgerald Theater. She began her formal schooling at the age of six and was an outstanding student, progressing through a variety of faculties before enrolling in writer junior high school college in 1929. Fitzgerald and her family had moved to an impoverished Italian neighborhood near College Street by 1925. Fitzgerald became an international star. She left Decca, and Granz, now her manager, created Verve Records around her. In January 1935, Fitzgerald won the chance to perform with the Tiny Bradshaw Band at the Harlem Opera House where she met Chick Webb, the drummer and band leader. Born Ella Jane Fitzgerald out of wedlock on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia; died at her home in Beverly Hills, California, on June 15, 1996; daughter of William Fitzgerald and Temperance Williams; had a half-sister Frances who died in 1960; educated in local schools in Yonkers, New York; married Benjamin Kornegay, in 1935 (annulled It was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the 50s. With the demise of the swing era and the decline of the great touring big bands, a major change in jazz music occurred. [81] In 1990, she received an honorary doctorate of Music from Harvard University.[82]. Her last performance was at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1991. [35], Fitzgerald was still performing at Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) concerts by 1955. In 1923 Frances da Silva, her half-sister was born. Ella played with the new style, often using her voice to take on the role of another horn in the band. With her Methodist family, she was. Granz required promoters to ensure that there was no "colored" or "white" seating. Mark, Geoffrey. How old was Ella Fitzgerald when she died? | Dependable Ella Fitzgerald Musician - All About Jazz [50], She made numerous guest appearances on television shows, singing on The Frank Sinatra Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, and alongside other greats Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Mel Torm, and many others. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book, released in 1956, was the first of eight Song Book sets Fitzgerald would record for Verve at irregular intervals from 1956 to 1964. [80] Across town at the University of Southern California, she received the USC "Magnum Opus" Award, which hangs in the office of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation. She became an international legend during a career that spanned some six decades. "[43] Amid The New York Times pan of the film when it opened in August 1955, the reviewer wrote, "About five minutes (out of ninety-five) suggest the picture this might have been. Norman wasnt the only one willing to stand up for Ella. At 21 years old, she recorded hits that made her famous such as Love and Kisses, and A-Tisket, A-Tasket (1938), which remained on the pop charts for seventeen weeks. [46] Even though she had already worked in the movies (she sang two songs in the 1942 Abbott and Costello film Ride 'Em Cowboy),[47] she was "delighted" when Norman Granz negotiated the role for her, and, "at the time considered her role in the Warner Brothers movie the biggest thing ever to have happened to her. Three years later, she died at age 79 after years of declining health. Still going strong five years later, she was inducted into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame, and received Kennedy Center Honors for her continuing contributions to the arts. Her song selections ranged from standards to rarities and represented an attempt by Fitzgerald to cross over into a non-jazz audience. She loved the Boswell Sisters' lead singer Connee Boswell, later saying, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with itI tried so hard to sound just like her. The two appeared on the same stage only periodically over the years, in television specials in 1958 and 1959, and again on 1967's A Man and His Music + Ella + Jobim, a show that also featured Antnio Carlos Jobim. The Grand Opening performers (October 11 and 12, 2008) were Roberta Flack and Queen Esther Marrow. All I can say is that she gave to me as much as she could, Ray, Jr. later said, and she loved me as much as she could.. Ultimate Symbol Incorporated. Ella's half-sister Frances was born in 1923. "Ella, elle l'a", a tribute to Fitzgerald written by Michel Berger and performed by French singer France Gall, was a hit in Europe in 1987 and 1988. Did Ella Fizgerald have any children? - Answers During her adolescence, Tempie Fitzgerald was very active in sports. The trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie, the guitarist Herb Ellis, and the pianists Tommy Flanagan, Oscar Peterson, Lou Levy, Paul Smith, Jimmy Rowles, and Ellis Larkins all worked with Fitzgerald mostly in live, small group settings. Born. By 1925, Fitzgerald and her family had . Tempie and Ella went to Yonkers, New York, where they eventually moved in with Tempie's longtime boyfriend Joseph Da Silva. She later described the period as strategically crucial, saying, "I had gotten to the point where I was only singing be-bop. Ella Fitzgerald Biography. Biography.com Website. Frances, Fitzgerald's half-sister, was born in 1923. On June 15, 1996, Fitzgerald passed away at her home. [9] In 1961 Fitzgerald bought a house in the Klampenborg district of Copenhagen, Denmark, after she began a relationship with a Danish man. It celebrated what would have been her 96th birthday. Fitzgerald spent two weeks performing in New York with Frank Sinatra and Count Basie in 1974 and was inducted into the Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame in 1979. Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth By 1925, Fitzgerald and her family had moved to nearby School Street, a poor Italian area. [61] In March 1990, she appeared at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England, with the Count Basie Orchestra for the launch of Jazz FM, plus a gala dinner at the Grosvenor House Hotel at which she performed. Ella's mother and her new partner, a Portuguese immigrant named Joseph da Silva, moved to Yonkers, in Westchester County, New York. [68] In 1949, Norman Granz recruited Fitzgerald for the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour. Discovered in an amateur contest, she went on to become the top female jazz singer for. Raymond is still living. In 2012, Rod Stewart performed a "virtual duet" with Ella Fitzgerald on his Christmas album Merry Christmas, Baby, and his television special of the same name. reinc: The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. Well never share your email with anyone else. The story of a company founded by four US Womens National Team soccer players seeking to challenge norms and inspire lasting progress. Joseph Da Silva. They lived there with her mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva. Ella Fitzgerald. When she studied in third grade, she developed an interest in dancing and idolized Earl Snakehips Tucker. Growing up, Fitzgerald performed exceptionally in the many primary schools she attended. If the conditions were not met shows were cancelled. The career history and archival material from Fitzgerald's long career are housed in the Archives Center at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, while her personal music arrangements are at the Library of Congress. Ella Jane Fitzgerald - Michael Ruark Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia to mother, Temperance (Tempie) Henry and father, William Fitzgerald. When she was a child, Fitzgerald lived in the Colored Orphan Asylum in Riverdale, the Bronx. Trumpet player Mario Bauz, who played behind Fitzgerald in her early years with Chick Webb, remembered that "she didn't hang out much. In 2007, he appeared in a BBC documentary talking about his mother entitled Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song. They lived there with her mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva. By 1925, Fitzgerald and her family had moved to nearby School Street, then a predominantly poor Italian area. Ella in Berlin is still one of her best-selling albums; it includes a Grammy-winning performance of "Mack the Knife" in which she forgets the lyrics but improvises to compensate. Ella Fitzgerald | Biography, Music, & Facts | Britannica Her father, William, and mother, Temperance (Tempie), parted ways shortly after her birth. Her material at this time represented a departure from her typical jazz repertoire. When the band was touring in Dallas, Texas, the police barged into Fitzgeralds dressing room and arrested her, Dizzy Gillespie, and Illinois Jacquetbecause of Granzs civil rights advocacy. The Joy Of Ella Fitzgerald's Accessible Elegance. Ella Fitzgerald age, hometown, biography | Last.fm She was the mother of Ray Brown Jr., a child she had adopted from Frances. Fitzgerald and Browns busy schedules took a toll on their relationship with their son and their marriage. Ella Fitzgerald - U-S-History.com With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly her interpretations of the Great American Songbook. Her first career aspiration was to become a . Raymond was born in 1949 in New York City, NY. [89], In 2019, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things, a documentary by Leslie Woodhead, was released in the UK. Ella quickly quieted the audience, and by the songs end they were demanding an encore. Once on stage, faced with boos and murmurs of Whats she going to do? from the rowdy crowd, a scared and disheveled Ella made the last minute decision to sing. [16][17] Performing in the style of Connee Boswell, she sang "Judy" and "The Object of My Affection" and won first prize. A later collection devoted to a single composer was released during her time with Pablo Records, Ella Abraa Jobim, featuring the songs of Antnio Carlos Jobim. By the 1990s, Ella had recorded over 200 albums. Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Va. on April 25, 1917. Born on April 17, 1917 Ella Fitzgerald was raised in the integrated neighborhood of Newport News, Virginia. Ella Fitzgerald was introduced to formal education when she was six. Ella also began appearing on television variety shows. She used the memories from these times to help gather emotions for performances, and felt she was more grateful for her success because she knew what it was like to struggle in life. It featured artists such as Michael Bubl, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, k.d. "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" became a major hit on the radio and was also one of the biggest-selling records of the decade.[17][22]. Her years with Pablo Records also documented the decline in her voice. Despite protests by family and friends, including Norman, Ella returned to the stage and pushed on with an exhaustive schedule. Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and many others were regular visitors during his childhood. In school, Fitzgerald sang in the glee club, but her real . They took us down, Ella later recalled, and then when we got there, they had the nerve to ask for an autograph.. During this period, she had her last US chart single with a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Get Ready", previously a hit for the Temptations, and some months later a top-five hit for Rare Earth. Fitzgerald and Brown divorced in 1953, due to the various career pressures both were experiencing at the time, though they would continue to perform together. After financial struggles for Fitzgerald and her band, she began working as lead singer for The Three Keys at Decca Records. 'Twas Night Before Christmas | Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics, Song Meanings Perhaps her most unusual and intriguing performance was of the "Three Little Maids" song from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta The Mikado alongside Joan Sutherland and Dinah Shore on Shore's weekly variety series in 1963. On June 15, 1996, Ella Fitzgerald died in her Beverly Hills home. A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald - Gulf Coast Symphony I thought be-bop was 'it', and that all I had to do was go some place and sing bop. Her half-sister, Frances Da Silva, was born in 1923. It was one of her most prized moments. Bridgewater's following album, Live at Yoshi's, was recorded live on April 25, 1998, what would have been Fitzgerald's 81st birthday. In 1987, United States President Ronald Reagan awarded Ella the National Medal of Arts. She had even gone as far as furnishing an apartment in Oslo, but the affair was quickly forgotten when Larsen was sentenced to five months' hard labor in Sweden for stealing money from a young woman to whom he had previously been engaged. A wreath of white flowers stood next to her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a marquee outside the Hollywood Bowl theater read, "Ella, we will miss you." In 1993, after a career of nearly sixty years, she gave her last public performance. Ella Fitzgerald. National Womens History Museum. Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". The Song Book series ended up becoming the singer's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful work, and probably her most significant offering to American culture. Initially living in a single room, her mother and Da Silva soon found jobs and Ella's half-sister, Frances Da Silva, was born in 1923. in Westchester County, New York. Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, the child of a common-law marriage between William and Temperance "Tempie" Fitzgerald. In her youth Fitzgerald wanted to be a dancer, although she loved listening to jazz recordings by Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and The Boswell Sisters. . On the touring circuit it was well-known that Ellas manager felt very strongly about civil rights and required equal treatment for his musicians, regardless of their color. Fitzgerald also loved dancing and singing, often catching shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Find out about Frances da Silva's family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs! Frances da Silva Family Tree & History, Ancestry & Genealogy - FameChain The Joy Of Ella Fitzgerald's Accessible Elegance. [87][88], On April 25, 2017, the centenary of her birth, UK's BBC Radio 2 broadcast three programmes as part of an "Ella at 100" celebration: Ella Fitzgerald Night, introduced by Jamie Cullum; Remembering Ella; introduced by Leo Green; and Ella Fitzgerald the First Lady of Song, introduced by Petula Clark. Fitzgerald experienced a troubled childhood that began with her parents separating shortly after her birth. Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, VA on April 25, 1917. Ella Fitzgerald, in full Ella Jane Fitzgerald, (born April 25, 1917, Newport News, Virginia, U.S.died June 15, 1996, Beverly Hills, California), American jazz singer who became world famous for the wide range and rare sweetness of her voice. His biological mother is Fitzgerald's half-sister Frances Da Silva. He offered Ella the opportunity to test with his band when they played a dance at Yale University. Here was a black woman popularizing urban songs often written by immigrant Jews to a national audience of predominantly white Christians. Easterling, Michael. Meet Jazz Musician Ray Brown Jr - Legend Ella Fitzgerald's Only Son Who Despite her declining health, she continued performing, sometimes two shows a day in different cities. Biography.com Editors. She worked as a lookout at a bordello and with a Mafia-affiliated numbers runner. She lived in a diverse neighborhood and made friends easily by playing games and sports in the street. Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth (Jazz Singer) She quickly became a favorite and frequent guest on numerous programs, including The Bing Crosby Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Frank Sinatra Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Andy Willams Show and The Dean Martin Show.. She began her formal education at the age of six and was an outstanding student, moving through a variety of schools before attending Benjamin Franklin Junior High School in 1929. . In 1923, Fitzgerald's half-sister, Frances Da Silva, was born. She lived in a diverse neighborhood and made friends easily by playing games and sports in the street. Ella Fitzgerald Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography There are several live albums on Verve that are highly regarded by critics. Fitzgerald was a great student. ella Fitzgerald had one child, whos name was ray jr. she adopted him from her half sister, Frances da silva Wiki User 2011-09-13 02:06:38 This answer is: Add a Comment Study guides. [5] [2] At the age of six, she began her formal education and moved through a variety of schools before attending Benjamin Franklin Junior High School from 2017. Ella Fitzgerald News | Photos | Quotes | Video | Wiki - UPI.com In 1955, Granz created Verve Records for Fitzgerald to expand her repertoire from bebop to other genres of music. In 1980, she performed a medley of standards in a duet with Karen Carpenter on the Carpenters' television special Music, Music, Music. Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book was the only Song Book on which the composer she interpreted played with her. Fitzgerald went to go live with her aunt in Harlem. [11] This seemingly swift change in her circumstances, reinforced by what Fitzgerald biographer Stuart Nicholson describes as rumors of "ill treatment" by her stepfather, leaves him to speculate that Da Silva might have abused her. She performed at top venues all over the world, and packed them to the hilt. Considered to be one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she also was known as Lady Ella. Music History 101 :: Ella Fitzgerald | Pastimes for a Lifetime Religion Ella lived and died in her faith as a Methodist. [30] Producer Norman Granz became her manager in the mid-1940s after she began singing for Jazz at the Philharmonic, a concert series begun by Granz. [18] She won the chance to perform at the Apollo for a week but, seemingly because of her disheveled appearance, the theater never gave her that part of her prize. Ella Fitzgerald. National Endowment for the Arts. She played at least once a month through the early 1990s, according to The New York Times. While on tour, Fitzgerald fell in love with bassist, Ray Brown; the two eventually married, adopted a son, and named him Ray Jr. The press went overboard. In the early 1920s, Fitzgerald's mother and her new partner, a Portuguese immigrant named Joseph Da Silva, moved to Yonkers, in Westchester County, New York. Norman refused to accept any type of discrimination at hotels, restaurants or concert halls, even when they traveled to the Deep South. Frances Da Silva Ella Fitzgerald Marriage, Affairs and Children SPOUSE Benny Kornegay (1941-1943) SPOUSE Ray Brown (1947-1953) Fame & Address DEBUT Souvenir Album (1949) FAMOUS FROM/AS Ella and Louis (1956) www.facebook.com/EllaFitzgerald Official Website www.ellafitzgerald.com Education, Net Worth & More SCHOOLING FROM I took a look on the Ella wiki page some weeks ago and didn't recall seeing that info there. The composers and lyricists spotlighted on each set, taken together, represent the greatest part of the cultural canon known as the Great American Songbook. . Fitzgerald was in and out of hospitals for respiratory illnesses or exhaustion. Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz, Updated Edition. After staying with Joe for a short time, Tempies sister Virginia took Ella home. Chicago- Angelucci, Ashley. Ella Fitzgerald - PowerPoint PPT Presentation - PowerShow Ella had one sister: Frances Da Silva . Struggling financially, the young Fitzgerald helped her family out by working as a messenger "running numbers" and acting as a lookout for a brothel. . Photo Credit:Ella Fitzgerald, November 1946. Aside from music, Fitzgerald was a child welfare advocate and regularly made donations to help disadvantaged youth. Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 - June 15, 1996) was an American jazz vocalist with a vocal range spanning three octaves (D3 to D6). Throughout her career, Ella would master scat singing, turning it into a form of art. Wikimedia Commons. This did not stop Fitzgerald from continuing to enter singing competitions across the city. 2022. Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, the child of a common-law marriage between William and Temperance "Tempie" Fitzgerald. In 1934 Ellas name was pulled in a weekly drawing at the Apollo and she won the opportunity to compete in Amateur Night. "[43] When, later in her career, the Society of Singers named an award after her, Fitzgerald explained, "I don't want to say the wrong thing, which I always do but I think I do better when I sing. Ella went to the theater that night planning to dance, but when the frenzied Edwards Sisters closed the main show, Ella changed her mind. [5] By 1925, Fitzgerald and her family had moved to nearby School Street, a poor Italian area. The press carried rumors that she would never be able to sing again, but Ella proved them wrong. She loved listening to jazz music by Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and The Boswell Sisters. In 1932, Ella's mother died of injuries suffered in a car accident. Fitzgerald then published her first of eight song books, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (1956). Ella Fitzgerald website. [15] Later that year, she was introduced to drummer and bandleader Chick Webb by Benny Carter[20] or Buck Ram[21] who had heard from singer Charlie Linton that Webb wanted to add a female singer. Her manager, Norman Granz, was adamant about protecting his colleagues from discrimination, but it did not stop it from happening. . [4] As a youngster, Fitzgerald wanted to be a dancer.
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