(WEAA) - Known for the rare sweetness in her voice, particularly in her scat singing, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular American jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century.
Throughout her career, she has performed alongside other influential jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat King Cole, and Dizzy Gillespie.
Before fame, Fitzgerald went through a rough patch in her life becoming an orphan at the age of 15.
With difficulty adjusting to new circumstances, her grades dropped in school and she engaged in illegal activities in order to make way for herself.
After being taken into police custody, she was sent to reform school where she suffered abuse from her caretakers.
While Fitzgerald dealt with a series of challenging events, this did not prevent her from achieving success.
In 1934, Fitzgerald made her most important debut at the age of 17 at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre.
Although she had the intentions of dancing on stage, she made the decision to sing. Fitzgerald performed Connee Boswell’s rendition of “Judy”, resulting in her being awarded with first prize.
Little did she know, this would lead to her significant career as one of the leading jazz vocalists in history.
Fitzgerald suffered from diabetes for several years of her later life which led to numerous complications such as respiratory problems, congestive heart failure, and exhaustion.
Due to the effects of diabetes, she had to have both of her legs amputated below the knees in 1993. She passed away on June 15, 1996, in her Beverly hills home at the age of 79.
In her lifetime, Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy awards. She was the first African American woman to receive a Grammy Award in 1958.
Ella Fitzgerald sold over 40 million albums. Singing sultry ballads and having the ability to imitate every instrument in an orchestra, she was tremendously loved by her audience and those she collaborated with.
Information gathered from:
http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/about/biography
https://uclpimedia.com/online/introduction-to-black-jazz-artists-past-and-present-the-big-names