Google Doodle celebrates the 96th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), one of the most popular jazz singers in America, known as the “First Lady of Song” and the “Queen of Jazz.” All you jazz lovers, grab some wine and relax to this woman’s soulful voice. This is some real easy listening pleasure.
A mini bio of Ella:
She was born in Newport News, Virginia, and raised in Yonkers, New York. When she was young, she ran away from home to escape her abusive stepfather after her mother passed away. So to get by, she began singing and dancing on the streets of Harlem like the legends Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.
She finally got her big break at the young age of 16, when she won an amateur night at the Apollo Theater in 1934. That’s when jazz drummer Chick Webb decided to take her under his wing, and she started singing in his Big Band.
It was between the years 1956-1964, when she recorded unforgettable covers of songs by “Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart,” according to her official website. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded Fitzgerald the National Medal of Arts.
And she’s still a legend today. Real music goes to those who can understand what they’re singing. This woman was no exception. Happy anniversary “Queen of Jazz.”
