Ella Fitzgerald

Hello there. My name is Ella Fitzgerald, and you might know me by my nickname, the 'First Lady of Song.' I was born on April 25th, 1917, in a city called Newport News, in Virginia. When I was just a little girl, my family and I moved to a place called Yonkers, New York. From a young age, I was absolutely in love with music and dancing. I would spend hours listening to the radio, singing along and trying to sound just like my favorite artists. My biggest dream back then wasn't actually to be a singer, but to become a dancer performing on a grand stage.

Life had some tough moments for me, especially around 1932 when my dear mother passed away. But even through sad times, I held tightly to my dreams. My big break came on a night I will never forget: November 21st, 1934. I was 17 years old, and I decided to sign up for Amateur Night at the world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. My plan was to dance for the audience. But just before it was my turn, I watched another act that was so amazing, it made my knees shake with nerves. In that moment, I made a quick decision to sing instead. I sang two songs, and to my surprise, the audience loved it. They clapped and cheered so loudly. I won first prize that evening, and that single performance changed the course of my entire life.

Winning the contest at the Apollo Theater helped me get noticed. A wonderful bandleader named Chick Webb saw my performance and was impressed. In 1935, he invited me to sing with his orchestra, which was one of the most popular jazz bands in the country. I was beyond excited. We traveled all over, playing our music for huge crowds of people who loved to dance. In 1938, I helped write a fun, silly song called 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket,' and when we recorded it, it became a massive hit. Sadly, Chick passed away in 1939. After he was gone, I took over as the leader of the band for a while, and we renamed it 'Ella and Her Famous Orchestra.'

During the 1940s, I decided it was time to begin my career as a solo artist. This was when I truly became famous for a special style of singing called 'scat.' Have you ever heard of it? It’s when I would make up melodies using fun, nonsense syllables instead of real words, like 'doo-be-doo-bop.' It felt like my voice was becoming another instrument in the band. Then, in the 1950s, I began recording a series of albums that became very famous, called my 'Song Books.' On these records, I sang the beautiful music written by great American composers like Duke Ellington and Cole Porter. People loved this music so much that in 1958, I won my very first Grammy Awards.

In those days, life wasn't always fair for African American performers like me. Some clubs and venues would refuse to let me sing simply because of the color of my skin. It was hurtful, but I had friends who believed in me and stood up for me. One of those friends was the famous actress Marilyn Monroe. In 1955, she personally called the owner of a very popular club in Hollywood. She told him that if he booked me to perform, she promised to sit in the front row every single night. The owner agreed, and her support helped open doors not just for me, but for many other Black artists who followed. Through experiences like that, I learned that music has a powerful way of bringing all kinds of people together.

I continued to sing for many, many years, sharing my voice with the world. I was so honored to receive special awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992. I lived to be 79 years old. Even though I am no longer here, my music continues to play on radios and in homes everywhere. I hope that when you hear my songs, you can feel the happiness I felt when I was singing them. And I hope my story reminds you that with a little bit of courage, you can always make your own special voice heard, too.