Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer often 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 tumultuous teenage years, 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. Fitzgerald’s 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 a solo career that would last the rest of her life.
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 recognizable songs like “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)”.
In 1993, she ended her fifty-nine year career with her last public performance. Three years later she died at the age of 79, following years of decline in her health. Her accolades included fourteen Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Ella Fitzgerald Famous Songs
1. Summertime
2. Dream a Little Dream Of Me
3, A-Tisket, A-Tasket
4. How High The Moon
5. Let’s Do It
6. Someone To Watch Over Me
7. Mack the Knife
8. They Can’t Take That Away From Me
9. Cheek to Cheek
10. Blue Skies
11. It’s Only a Paper Moon
12. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
13. All The Things You Are
14. It Don’t Mean A Thing
15. Let’s Fall In Love
16. Makin’ Whoopee
17. You’ll Have To Swing It, Mr. Paganini
18. Too Darn Hot
19. Oh Lady Be Good
20. April In Paris
21. Misty
22. Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off
23. I’m Beginning To See The Light
24. These Foolish Things
25. Isn’t This A Lovely Day?
26. Love Is Here To Stay
27. The Nearness Of You
28. A Fine Romance
29. Cry Me A River
30. I Got Rhythm
31. Night and Day
32. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
