Person Open DS/UK/12179 Fitzgerald; Ella (25 April 1917-15 June 1996); American jazz singer Fitzgerald Ella 25 April 1917-15 June 1996 American jazz singer Female (cisgender) Ella Jane Fitzgerald https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx?zIyz54_z_hfxm Newport News, Virginia, United States (born)

American Musician; Singer, jazz Black Daughter of William Fitzgerald and Temperance "Tempie" Henry Former wife of Benny Kornegay (dockworker and convicted drug dealer) and Ray Brown (bassist) Heterosexual Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer sometimes referred to as the First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. After a tumultuous adolescence, Fitzgerald found stability in musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing across the country but most often associated with the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Her manager was Moe Gale, co-founder of the Savoy, until she turned the rest of her career over to Norman Granz, who founded Verve Records to produce new records by Fitzgerald. With Verve she recorded some of her more widely noted works, particularly her interpretations of the Great American Songbook. While Fitzgerald appeared in movies and as a guest on popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century, her musical collaborations with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots were some of her most notable acts outside of her solo career. These partnerships produced some of her best-known songs such as "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Cheek to Cheek", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)". Awards, Honours and Legacy: Fitzgerald's accolades included fourteen Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Activism and Views: Fitzgerald was a civil rights activist; using her talent to break racial barriers across the nation. She was awarded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Equal Justice Award and the American Black Achievement Award. In 1949, Norman Granz recruited Fitzgerald for the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour. The Jazz at the Philharmonic tour would specifically target segregated venues. Granz required promoters to ensure that there was no "colored" or "white" seating. He ensured Fitzgerald was to receive equal pay and accommodations regardless of her sex and race. If the conditions were not met shows were cancelled. Chartiy and Philanthropy: In 1993, Fitzgerald established the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation focusing on charitable grants for four major categories: academic opportunities for children, music education, basic care needs for the less fortunate, medical research revolving around diabetes, heart disease, and vision impairement. Her goals were to give back and provide opportunities for those "at risk" and less fortunate. In addition, she supported several nonprofit organizations like the American Heart Association, City of Hope, and the Retina Foundation. Universal Fire: In 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Ella Fitzgerald among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Fitzgerald (2020) International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes RAHSkeyte 2/5/2014 RAHAKirkbride 12/6/2022 97333098-ad1e-4d40-90a9-826cf658233e