[dropcap]B[/dropcap]orn on, April 25, 1917, was an American jazz vocalist, often known as the “First Lady of Song,” the “Queen of Jazz” and “Lady Ella,”. She was notified for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation. Fitzgerald was also a noticed interpreter of the Great American Songbook. In the course of her full 60-year recording career, she sold around 40 million copies of her 70 and above albums.
Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia. After their parent separation, she lived with her mother in poor Italian area. She had a troublesome life during her childhood. At the age of six, she began her formal education at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School. She, from third grade, had been passionate about dancing. Being a diehard fan of Earl “Snakehips” Tucker in particular, performed her practice on the way to school and at lunchtime.
The church helped her in gaining experience in formal music making, and also had piano lessons during this period. Fitzgerald started her career at the age of 17 on November 21, 1934, at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, New York. She was famous for her jonor “Amateur Nights”, which pulled her audience at Apollo. She opted to sing Boswell’s “Judy” and “The Object of My Affection”, a song recorded by the Boswell Sisters which won the first prize of US $25.00. This paved the way to start her carrier in her future endeavors. Fitzgerald won thirteen Grammy Awards and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1967.
At last, in 1996, after so many complications in her health, she was confined to a wheelchair, and spent her final days in with her son Ray and 12-year-old granddaughter, Alice. She died in her home on June 15, 1996. She was 79 when she left this world and was buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
