Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter and composer known as the “First Lady of Song.” Her best-known records are the No. 1 hit “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938), the 1956 albums Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book and Ella and Louis, and her Songbook series. She won 13 Grammy Awards.
People still look up Ella Fitzgerald because of the Songbook albums. On these records she sang the work of composers such as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin and Rodgers and Hart, between 1956 and 1964. The Songbooks became her most critically praised and popular work.
Ella Fitzgerald at a glance
| Full name | Ella Jane Fitzgerald |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 1917, Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 15, 1996, Beverly Hills, California, U.S. (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter, composer, bandleader |
| Genres | Jazz, swing, bebop, traditional pop, blues |
| Years active | 1934–1993 |
| Labels | Decca, Verve, Capitol, Reprise, Pablo, His Master’s Voice |
| Known for | “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (1938), Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book (1956), Ella and Louis (1956), Porgy and Bess (1959) |
| Major awards | 13 Grammy Awards; National Medal of Arts; Presidential Medal of Freedom |
Ella Fitzgerald’s Apollo debut and the Chick Webb band years (1934–1942)
Ella Fitzgerald started singing after a troubled childhood. She made her debut at the Apollo Theater in 1934, where she was discovered in an amateur contest. Chick Webb hired her as the female singer in his band. Her first recording, “Love and Kisses,” was recorded with the Webb band for Decca on June 12, 1935.
Ella Fitzgerald’s breakthrough came in 1938 with “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” a playful version of the nursery rhyme that she co-wrote. It went to No. 1, and later that year she had a second hit with “I Found My Yellow Basket.” Webb died in 1939, and she took over his band. She left it in 1942 to start her solo career.
Ella Fitzgerald’s Verve Songbook era (1956–1966)
Ella Fitzgerald’s career rose to its greatest height under producer and manager Norman Granz. He founded Verve Records to make new records with her. The series began with Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book in 1956. That same year she recorded Ella and Louis with Louis Armstrong, and the two recorded Porgy and Bess together in 1957.
At the first Grammy Awards, held in 1959, Ella Fitzgerald won her first two Grammys, for her Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin song books. With those wins she became the first African American woman to win a Grammy. She worked directly with Ellington on his album. Her live album Ella in Berlin was one of the best-selling records of her career and won two more Grammys. Alongside the records, she toured 40 to 45 weeks a year with Granz.
Ella Fitzgerald’s later albums and the Pablo years (1967–1993)
Ella Fitzgerald recorded some of her most varied albums for Capitol in the late 1960s. They included the spiritual album Brighten the Corner and the country album Misty Blue. She signed with Reprise in 1969. In 1972 she returned to Granz on his new Pablo label. Her Pablo duets with Joe Pass included Fitzgerald and Pass… Again, which won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, as did Fine and Mellow. She gave her last public performance in 1993, after nearly 60 years on stage.
Selected Ella Fitzgerald albums
| Year | Album | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Ella Sings Gershwin | Studio album |
| 1955 | Lullabies of Birdland | Studio album |
| 1956 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book | Studio album |
| 1956 | Ella and Louis | Studio album |
| 1957 | Ella and Louis Again | Studio album |
| 1959 | Porgy and Bess | Studio album |
| 1959 | Get Happy! | Studio album |
| 1967 | Brighten the Corner | Studio album |
| 1968 | Misty Blue | Studio album |
| 1969 | Ella | Studio album |
| 1974 | Ella in London | Live album |
| 1976 | Fitzgerald and Pass… Again | Studio album |
FAQ
– What is Ella Fitzgerald’s best-known song?
Ella Fitzgerald’s best-known early hit is “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” which she co-wrote and which went to No. 1 in 1938. Her Songbook albums from 1956 to 1964 are her most celebrated body of work.
– What was Ella Fitzgerald’s first recording?
Ella Fitzgerald made her first recording, “Love and Kisses,” on June 12, 1935, with the Chick Webb band. It was issued on Decca.
– How many Grammys did Ella Fitzgerald win?
Ella Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy Awards. Her first two came at the first Grammy Awards in 1959, which made her the first African American woman to win one.
– When did Ella Fitzgerald die?
Ella Fitzgerald died on June 15, 1996, in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 79. Her last public performance was in 1993.