Ten Things You Need To Know About Ella Fitzgerald
According to Mel Torme “She was the best singer on the planet.”
Fifteen-year-old Ella, she was born in April 1917, hated her Harlem school and skipped it as soon as she could to work as a collector for the illegal Mafia run lottery.
June 1935 Ella went into the recording studio with the Chick Webb band for the first time and recorded two songs, I’ll Chase the Blues Away and Love and Kisses.
Her big break came singing with Webb orchestra in June 1938 when A-Tisket A-Tasket spent ten weeks at No.1 on the Billboard chart.
In the late 1940s Ella become enamored with be-bop and left mainstream music choosing instead to work with Dizzy Gillespie.
In 1949 Ella Fitzgerald made her first appearance at the legendary Jazz at the Philharmonic series of concerts. It was a watershed for her career.
By 1954 Ella had sold over 20 million records which put her up there with the most popular singers, Black or white; she was way out in front of all other Black singers.
Ella’s eight songbook albums for Verve have become the basis for her continuing popularity. These albums represent the pinnacle of Ella’s art.
Ella Fitzgerald’s last US chart success of any note was Mack The Knife which managed to make No.27 in 1960.
Ella Fitzgerald passed away 15 June 1996.
UK English
Louis J. Martin
June 16, 2014 at 3:13 pm
I discover Ella in a recording with Satchmo, it was Porgy and Bess and the first notes of Summertime blew me away. It is the best interpretation of this song. Now I have over 7 cds. She was, without contest, the greatest. Rest in peace Sassy, we miss you.
MICHAEL
January 20, 2015 at 2:02 am
ELLA WAS AND STILL IS THE GREATEST. HER PORGY AND BESS WITH LOUIS ARMSTRONG IS STILL THE BEST RECORDING . HER SUMMERTIME IS FANTASTIC AS NOTED FROM THE ABOVE LOUIS J. MARTIN. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER HEARD ELLA DO THIS SONG AND MANY OTHERS. I SAW HER PERFORM ON STAGE AND WHAT A SHOW. I HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT AND ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE . LOVE YOU ELLA, RIP……..
Giulio
March 26, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Cantante unica e irripetibile inclonabile ho imparato tecnica vocale anche da lei grazie Ella
Tim
June 18, 2016 at 7:12 am
There have been many great women of jazz before and since Ella pretty much changed the game with one-of-a-kind voice of hers, but in my estimation, she’s still the best!
Faheem Ahmed
April 25, 2017 at 1:59 pm
I definitely listen her which he deserves still.. and singers of todays should know about her
Natalie Kruse
April 25, 2017 at 2:16 pm
I remember listening to her beautiful singing on vinyl record albums my parents kept. That was a big influence on me and enriched my childhood days.
Sam Kays
April 25, 2017 at 7:48 pm
Was a Star
Big Tony
April 26, 2017 at 5:08 am
I loved hard hearted Hannah
Michael Maehle
April 27, 2017 at 12:22 am
Sarah Vaughan had the moniker “Sassy”. Ella was ” Lady Time”.
Gary
April 27, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Ella also did Christmas albums. I was about 20, driving home for Christmas alone in a snowstorm, listening to AM radio in the ’60s. They played her cover of “White Christmas” and I had to pull off the highway & listen. I couldn’t see well enough to drive through the tears.
Michael Willhoite
April 29, 2017 at 3:03 am
The Goddess of Song.
Graham
November 25, 2019 at 8:57 am
For me the very best singer there has ever been.love everything she has ever done.sublime singing.