Ella Fitzgerald Essay
Ella Fitzgerald: The First Lady of Song and Queen of Jazz
By Madison Sadler
How many of you like listening to jazz? Maybe you like a certain instrument being played or just the soothing sounds of it in general. Well, if you like jazz you have probably heard of Ella Fitzgerald. Nick-named “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.
Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents William Fitzgerald and Temperance “Tempie” Fitzgerald separated shortly after Ella’s birth. Together, Tempie and Ella went to Yonkers, N.Y, where they moved in with Tempie's longtime boyfriend Joseph Da Silva. In 1932, Temperance died of injuries from a car accident, and after living awhile with Joe and Frances she decided to move in with her aunt. Ella started skipping school frequently and getting in trouble with the police. She then was sent to a reform school but hadn’t stayed long. By 1934, 15-year-old Ella was attempting to make it on her own, alone, broke, and living on the streets. Trying to make some money, Ella entered an amateur contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. She sang the tune of “Judy” and wowed the audience. She then went on to win the first place prize of twenty-five dollars. “Once up there, I felt the acceptance and love from my audience,” Ella said. “I knew I wanted to sing before people the rest of my life.” While on tour with Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1946, Ella fell in love with bassist Ray Brown. The two were married in 1947 and eventually adopted a son birthed from Ella’s half-sister, Frances whom they named Raymond “Ray” Brown Jr. They divorced in 1952 because of their busy work schedules but managed to remain close friends. In 1986, Ella had heart surgery and was diagnosed with diabetes, which doctors claim was the cause of her failing eyesight. Ella’s diabetes got
By Madison Sadler
How many of you like listening to jazz? Maybe you like a certain instrument being played or just the soothing sounds of it in general. Well, if you like jazz you have probably heard of Ella Fitzgerald. Nick-named “The First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.
Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents William Fitzgerald and Temperance “Tempie” Fitzgerald separated shortly after Ella’s birth. Together, Tempie and Ella went to Yonkers, N.Y, where they moved in with Tempie's longtime boyfriend Joseph Da Silva. In 1932, Temperance died of injuries from a car accident, and after living awhile with Joe and Frances she decided to move in with her aunt. Ella started skipping school frequently and getting in trouble with the police. She then was sent to a reform school but hadn’t stayed long. By 1934, 15-year-old Ella was attempting to make it on her own, alone, broke, and living on the streets. Trying to make some money, Ella entered an amateur contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. She sang the tune of “Judy” and wowed the audience. She then went on to win the first place prize of twenty-five dollars. “Once up there, I felt the acceptance and love from my audience,” Ella said. “I knew I wanted to sing before people the rest of my life.” While on tour with Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1946, Ella fell in love with bassist Ray Brown. The two were married in 1947 and eventually adopted a son birthed from Ella’s half-sister, Frances whom they named Raymond “Ray” Brown Jr. They divorced in 1952 because of their busy work schedules but managed to remain close friends. In 1986, Ella had heart surgery and was diagnosed with diabetes, which doctors claim was the cause of her failing eyesight. Ella’s diabetes got