By: Luke Fernandez March 27, 2012
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Biography Ella Fitzgerald is one of many famous African-American jazz singers. Her life struggles, hardships, and happiness all contribute to the many songs she as written written throughout her years of entertainment. Her music as
touched the hearts and minds of millions of fans all over the world. She has met with all the great artist of jazz from The Duke, The Count, and more. Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newpo Newport rt News, in April, 1917. Ella's parents William and Temperance had parted shortly after her birth. Later on Ella and her mother had moved toYonkers, New York, where the moved in with Temperance's boyfriend Joe Da Silva. Soon after Ella's mother had become pregnant pregnant with Ella's half-sister, Frances. While Ella was staying in Yonkers she would get part time jobs to contribute to the family. During her late teens Ella was faced with a struggle her mother had passed away do to bad injuries during a car accident. This also was the time of the great depression, which made it even hard for Ella to find happiness. During her time of adolescence Ella acted out she skipped school, her grades dropped, and caused trouble. In that time she was sent to reformatory school where she had been beaten up but escaped the harsh treatment later on in her life. Although Ella had faced harsh treatment from others around her, she also thanked them for making her the way she is. She had used those memories and experiences to bring emotion and life to her performances. performan ces. Ella says, "I sing like I feel" and "The only thing better than singing is more singing." It shows how passionate she was about singing and how all your struggles, hardships, and tribulations can payoff someday. Ella has preformed around the world and has sold over 40 billion albums. She is also known as, " The first Lady of Jazz." In 1974 she had received an award from President Ronald Regan for contribut contributing ing to the arts. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later some time. During Ella's career she had been on tour and had been on many talk shows such as, " The Andy William Show," "The Night Show," and many more famous television shows. At the end of her music career Ella had went through a surgery for her heart and doctors had pronounced Ella as a diabetic. However press rumors arose saying Ella would never sing again. But she proved them wrong in the 90s Ella performed her final performance before her death at the Carnige Hall where she had preformed for the 26th time. Before her death Ella's diabetes affected both her legs and soon they were both amputated. Although she didn't fully recover from her surgery Ella enjoyed the time with her son Ray Jr., and her grand daughter Alice. "I just want to smell the air, listen to the birds and hear Alice laugh," she said. Ella Fitzgerald had died in June, 1996. When she died the whole world had grief and morn for Ella. She was one of the many jazz singers
who had enriched the world in a new era of culture and arts for music. For that the Hollywood Bowl had put up, " Ella, we will miss you" on there sign. She still continues today as the world famous jazz singers of her time and still stands the test of time.
http://www.ellafitzgerald.com http://image.musicimpo http://image .musicimport.biz/sdimage rt.biz/sdimages/disk19/13880 s/disk19/1388089.jpg 89.jpg
Accomplishments : Ella had won many awards throughout the days of her fame a few of these awards are what spread her name through Hollywood. Hollywood. In I n 1934,won Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater as her first musical musical performance. performance. 1937 Top Female Vocalist, Down Beat magazine. 1938First No. 1 song, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" worldwide. 1956All Star Female, Metronome magazine. 1958First Grammy 1 award , 1959Grammy awards, Best Female Vocal Performance , 1962 Grammy award, Best Female Solo Vocal Performance. 1967Grammy award, Bing Crosby Lifetime Achievement awardHonorary chairmanship of the newly formed Martin Luther King Foundation, 1979Grammy award, Best Jazz Vocal Performance, 1981Grammy award, Best Female Jazz Vocal . 1983Peabody Award for Outstanding Contributions to Music in AmericaGrammy award, Best Female Jazz Vocal Performance for "The Best Is Yet to Come" (album). 1990Grammy award, Best Female Jazz Vocal Performance for All That Jazz (album)Commander of Arts and Letters (France)Honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University. 1992Miss Fitzgerald was awarded America's America's highest non-military honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. United States honors this "First Lady of Song".2007U.S. Postal Service unveils the 2007 Ella Fitzgerald Commemorative Stamp.
(According to Ellafitzgerald.com Ellafitzgerald.com http://www.ellafitzgerald.com http://www.ellafitzg erald.com/about/awa /about/awards.html rds.html )
Quotes: "Coming through the years, and finding that I not only have just the fans of my day, but the young ones of today -- that's what it means, it means it was worth all of it." – Ella Fitzgerald "I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns."-Ella Fitzgerald "Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."-Ella Fitzgerald "I sing like I feel."-Ella Fitzgerald “A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside... I'm going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do."-Ella Fitzgerald (According to ellafitzgerald.co ellafitzgerald.com m http://www.ellafitzgerald.com http://www.ellafitzg erald.com/about/quo /about/quotes.html tes.html))
Credits: Ellafitzgerald.com http://www.ellafitzgerald.com/ Google.com http://www.google.com/search? hl=en&q=ella+fitzgerald&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1107 &bih=842&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=iZF1T4ihCcGQgwfBwJHsDg Scribd.com http://www.scribd.com/
