Angela Marie Murphy American Literature Ella Fitzgerald “ The First Lady of Song “

LaKeah Wilkins March 11,2013

Ella Fitzgerald was born to William and Temperance Fitzgerald on April 25, 1917 in
Newport News, Virginia. Ella’s parent’s divorced when she was only a month old and her mother moved them to Yonkers, New York to live with her mother. Her mother had another daughter in 1923 by her second husband. To help her struggling family, Ella helped out by working as a messenger “ running numbers “, and acted as a lookout for a brothel. Her first love was to become a dancer. In 1932, Ella’s mother Temperance died from a heart attack, and Ella and her sister was sent to live with her aunt. During this time, Ella began getting in trouble with the police and her aunt sent her to a reform school. She later ran away and lived on the streets of New York during the Great Depression. At the age of seventeen Ella’s name was picked in the weekly drawing to perform at the
Apollo, where she was given the opportunity to compete in amateur night. On this night, she had planned to dance until she saw her competition. Not knowing what she was going to do after what she had seen, she decided to sing her mother’s favorite song “ Judy “ by
Connee Bowell. After winning on this night, she won the chance to perform with a band called “ Tiny Bradshaw Band “ at the Harlem Opera House. After being noticed with “ the Tiny Bradshaw Band “, she later recorded her first song “ Love and Kisses “in 1936, at the age of nineteen. She was also performing at what was known as “ The World’s Most Famous Ballroom the Savoy. “ She later went on to marry her first husband Kornegay, who was a known drug dealer. This marriage did not last and she then married her second husband, Brown, who was a Bass player with the “ the Tiny Bradshaw
Band. “ At the age of twenty-one she recorded her playful version of “ A –Tisket, A Tasket “ nursery rhyme in 1938. This album sold one million copies, hit # 1, and stayed on the pop charts for 17 weeks. In 1942, Ella made her film debut in the comedy “ Ride’ Em Cowboy “with Bud
Abbott and Lou Costello. Her career began to take off, and around the same time, she went on tour with Dizzy Gillespie and his band. Ella Fitzgerald was considered the most influential jazz singer of her time. Her career spanned so many decades and so many movements, from the big band era of the 30’s to the be-bopin in the 40’s and into the golden age of the standard ‘50’s. She entertained people all over the world with her legendary voice, and had so much talent that she also became known as “ The First Lady of Song. “