Ella fitzgerald facts and pictures

Ella became one of the best-selling jazz vocal recordings artists in history and she also won 14 Grammy Awards. Ella is still celebrated for her impact in the music industry up to today. Therefore, here are 10 important facts you need to know about the Iconic singer. Ella was also honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in In Ella got the chance to make her first performance in an Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater using some little pocket change from the tips she made from passersby when she performed for them in the early s.

She wanted to perform as a dancer at the Apollo Theater but there was stiff competition in the dancing sector, so she decided to sing instead. She took part in criminal activities as a teenager Ella faced a lot of difficulties while growing up. She lived with her stepfather who abused her frequently and it even continued when her mother died in She later moved in with her aunty to escape her abusive father, and it was at this particular time that her grades started dropping and she could even skip school sometimes.

Ella started seeking means of survival and she started working for a mafia numbers runner and looking out for the police at a local brothel. These illegal behaviours eventually landed her straight in the orphanage where she was raised. After her successful performance at the Apollo Theatre, Ella was given a chance to perform with the Tiny Bradshaw band for only a week.

Later on, she was introduced to Chick Webb who was reluctant to sign her because she was gawky and unkempt but he outlooked these flaws and offered her a chance to test with his band at a dance at Yale University. Marilyn Monroe helped grow her career. Their apartment was in a mixed neighborhood, where Ella made friends easily. She considered herself more of a tomboy, and often joined in the neighborhood games of baseball.

Sports aside, she enjoyed dancing and singing with her friends, and some evenings they would take the train into Harlem and watch various acts at the Apollo Theater. In , Tempie died from serious injuries that she received in a car accident. Ella took the loss very hard. Shortly afterward Joe suffered a heart attack and died, and her little sister Frances joined them.

Ella fitzgerald facts and pictures

Unable to adjust to the new circumstances, Ella became increasingly unhappy and entered into a difficult period of her life. Her grades dropped dramatically, and she frequently skipped school. After getting into trouble with the police, she was taken into custody and sent to a reform school. Living there was even more unbearable, as she suffered beatings at the hands of her caretakers.

Eventually Ella escaped from the reformatory. The year-old found herself broke and alone during the Great Depression, and strove to endure. Never one to complain, Ella later reflected on her most difficult years with an appreciation for how they helped her to mature. She used the memories from these times to help gather emotions for performances, and felt she was more grateful for her success because she knew what it was like to struggle in life.

Ella went to the theater that night planning to dance, but when the frenzied Edwards Sisters closed the main show, Ella changed her mind. Off stage, and away from people she knew well, Ella was shy and reserved. She was self-conscious about her appearance, and for a while even doubted the extent of her abilities. On stage, however, Ella was surprised to find she had no fear.

She felt at home in the spotlight. In the band that night was saxophonist and arranger Benny Carter. Impressed with her natural talent, he began introducing Ella to people who could help launch her career. In the process he and Ella became lifelong friends, often working together. During this time, she also became involved in minor illegal activities, before the police caught up to her and put her in the Colored Orphan Asylum in Riverdale.

She used to sing on the streets to make her living. The album was released in two volumes. In , she received an honorary doctorate of Music from the Harvard University. International U. Follow Us. Terms Privacy Policy. Part of HuffPost Black Voices. All rights reserved. What's Hot. Bathed in red light, Ella Fitzgerald performs with her eyes closed at Mr.

Ella Fitzgerald, famous American jazz singer, during a performance. Undated photograph. Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb, drummer and bandleader for the Tiny Bradshaw band, with whom Fitzgerald sang for some years,