Ella Fitzgerald

Hello, my name is Ella Fitzgerald, and people have called me the 'First Lady of Song.' My story begins on April 25th, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. When I was a little girl, my family moved north to Yonkers, New York, which was a busy and exciting place to grow up. The world was full of music and sound, and I soaked it all in. My biggest dream back then was to become a dancer. I would practice my moves for hours. But I also had a deep love for singing. I would listen to the radio and sing along with my favorite artists, especially a wonderful singer named Connee Boswell. I tried to sound just like her, copying the way she made her voice bend and flow with the melody. I didn't know it then, but those hours spent singing along to the radio were preparing me for a future I could have never imagined.

Life took a difficult turn for me in 1932 when my dear mother passed away. It was a time of great sadness and hardship, but I never let go of my dreams. I held onto the hope that I could make a life for myself through performing. My big chance came on a night I will never forget: November 21st, 1934. I went to the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem for its Amateur Night. My plan was to dance, just as I had always dreamed. But when I walked onto that big stage and saw all the people in the audience, my knees started to shake. I was too scared to dance. In a moment of panic, I made a split-second decision. Instead of dancing, I told the band to play a song I knew. I opened my mouth and began to sing. To my surprise, the crowd went wild. I ended up winning first prize that night, and in that moment, my path changed forever.

Winning at the Apollo opened the first major door of my career. In 1935, I was invited to join Chick Webb's orchestra, one of the most popular big bands of the time. It was an incredible experience. We traveled all over the country, performing for cheering crowds. Being part of that band taught me so much about music and about being a professional performer. In 1938, we recorded a playful song based on a nursery rhyme, called 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket.' It became my first number-one hit, and suddenly, people everywhere knew my name. My time with the band was filled with joy, but also sadness. My friend and mentor, Chick Webb, passed away in 1939. It was a huge loss, but to keep his music alive, I stepped up and became the leader of the band for a few years, carrying on the legacy he had built.

In 1942, I decided it was time to begin my career as a solo artist. This was when I truly started to develop my own unique style. I am well known for a special kind of singing called 'scat.' Scat singing is when you use your voice to make up sounds and melodies on the spot, almost like you're playing an instrument like a trumpet or a saxophone. It allowed me to be creative and playful with my music. In the 1950s, I began working with a producer named Norman Granz at his new label, Verve Records. This partnership led to one of the most important projects of my career: my 'Song Book' albums. Each album was dedicated to the music of a great American composer or songwriting team. I sang the works of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, and the brothers George and Ira Gershwin. These records helped prove that popular songs were a form of art, and they became some of my most celebrated recordings.

Being an African American woman in the mid-20th century, my journey was not always easy. America was segregated, which meant there were many places where I wasn't allowed to perform simply because of the color of my skin. But I was fortunate to have friends who believed in equality. In 1955, I wanted to perform at a popular Hollywood nightclub called the Mocambo, but the owner wouldn't hire me. When the famous actress Marilyn Monroe heard about this, she called the owner herself. She promised that if he booked me, she would sit in the front row every single night, ensuring the club would be filled with reporters and fans. He agreed, and my shows were a huge success. This was a victory not just for me, but for all artists fighting for respect. Just a few years later, in 1958, I felt another incredible sense of pride when I won two of the very first Grammy Awards ever given out.

I had a wonderfully long career, and I was able to travel the world, sharing my love of music with millions of people. I received many honors over the years, but one of the greatest was in 1992, when President George H. W. Bush presented me with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our country's highest honor for a citizen. I lived to be 79 years old, and my life was filled with the music I loved so much. Today, people remember me as the 'First Lady of Song.' It brings me peace to know that my music still fills the air, bringing joy and inspiration to people all over the world.