“I knew I wanted to sing before people the rest of my life.”
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Figure timeline
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter and composer, 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, timing, intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
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entertainment · American jazz singer (1917–1996) · singer-songwriter · composer · conductor · bandleader · film actor · recording artist · jazz musician · singer · jazz singer · musician · also Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady of Song, The First Lady of Jazz, Queen of Jazz, Lady Ella, Fitzgerald
Born 25 April 1917 · Died 15 June 1996 · Q1768
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2026· 18 entries
thebluesmagazine.com: Ella Fitzgerald 1966 Copenhagen Concert Released for First Time
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Mshale: Ella Fitzgerald-Air Mail Special Sally Fields (RrOnPWn2af)
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Florida Weekly: Ashley Pezzotti: Celebrates Ella Fitzgerald
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Yahoo: NYC fans disappointed after storms wash out Ella Fitzgerald concert
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UK Jazz News: Ella Fitzgerald – ‘Live at Falkoner Theatre Copenhagen 6th February 1966’
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streamlinefeed.co.ke: New York City Opera Honors Ella Fitzgerald Amid Resonant Ties to Wartime Ukraine
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The New York Times: Flying In From Ukraine to Honor Ella Fitzgerald
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Published video “You’ve never heard “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” like this! 😂 #BlackMusicMonth 📺: @TheEdSullivanShow”.
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- #self-published
Published video “Celebrating #BlackMusicMonth with this rendition of "Misty" performed by @madebymagana on Instagram!”.
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Published video “Ella performs “I Ain’t Got Nothing But the Blues,” live in 1969. 🎤 📹: Montreux Jazz Festival”.
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Published video “Hope Divine killed this cover of "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" ❤️”.
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Published video “Ella brings her signature warmth to “For Once In My Life” in Berlin, 1968. 📺: SFB (German TV)”.
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Published video “@T@TheOfficialSammyDavisJr Ella performing on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' 🎙️ 🎥: @The@TheEdSullivanShow”.
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Published video “A beautiful cover of "I've Got A Crush On You" by @blu_who24 on TikTok! ❤️🎶”.
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Published video “Ella brings her charm and wit to “What’s My Line?” ✨ 🎥: CBS”.
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Published video “A little sunshine from Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson during a 1961 appearance in the UK! ☀️”.
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Published video “Ella performing “Satin Doll” in 1966! 🎥: France Musique / Les Légendes du Jazz”.
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- #self-published
2025· 2 entries
Released album “Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Vol. 2”.
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The Guardian: Lost Ella Fitzgerald recordings to be released – including her take on 60s pop
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2024· 1 entry
Released album “The Christmas Songs”.
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2023· 3 entries
Released album “Ella Sings the Blues”.
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Released album “Bing & Ella”.
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Rolling Stone ranked Fitzgerald at No
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2022· 2 entries
Snopes rated the claim “A photo taken in 1955 depicts Ella Fitzgerald in police custody for allegedly violating segregation laws by singing to a mixed-race audience.” Mixture.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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Released album “The Secret of Christmas”.
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2020· 2 entries
The Guardian: TV tonight: the story of Ella Fitzgerald and her remarkable voice
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The Valatie Community Theater in Valatie, New York staged Ella The Ungovernable, a play by David McDonald telling a fictional story of 15-year-old Ella Fitzgerald's incarceration and theorized escape from the New York Tr
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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2019· 2 entries
Snopes rated the claim “The Mocambo night club in Los Angeles refused to book Ella Fitzgerald due to her race but was eventually persuaded to do so by actress Marilyn Monroe.” Mixture.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
- #fact-check
- #rated
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Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things, a documentary by Leslie Woodhead, was released in the UK
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2017· 2 entries
The Guardian: Kandace Springs on Ella Fitzgerald at 100: 'She'll always be my hero'
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The centenary of her birth, the UK's BBC Radio 2 broadcast three programs as part of an "Ella at 100" celebration: Ella Fitzgerald Night, introduced by Jamie Cullum; Remembering Ella; introduced by Leo Green; and Ella Fi
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2016· 3 entries
Released album “Live in Cologne, 1974 (Live)”.
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The Guardian: Bob Dylan's new album – as performed by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more
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Released album “Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set”.
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2013· 1 entry
Fitzgerald was featured in Google Doodle, depicting her performing onstage
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2012· 2 entries
Released album “This is Christmas”.
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Rod Stewart performed a "virtual duet" with Ella Fitzgerald on his Christmas album Merry Christmas, Baby, and his television special of the same name
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2008· 3 entries
Released album “Miss Ella’s Playhouse”.
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Released album “Ella & Louis (and Oscar Too)”.
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The Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News named its new 276-seat theater the Ella Fitzgerald Theater
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2007· 3 entries
Released album “Sings Cole Porter”.
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The United States Postal Service announced that Fitzgerald would be honored with her own postage stamp
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We All Love Ella, was released, a tribute album recorded for Fitzgerald's 90th birthday
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2005· 1 entry
Released album “All My Life”.
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2002· 1 entry
Released album “I Want To Be Happy”.
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1999· 2 entries
Released album “Rhythm Is My Business”.
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Released album “One O’Clock Jump”.
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1998· 3 entries
What would have been Fitzgerald's 81st birthday
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Released album “Lullabies of Birdland / Sweet and Hot”.
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Released album “That Old Black Magic”.
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1997· 2 entries
Released album “Sings Christmas”.
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Newport News, Virginia, created a week-long music festival with Christopher Newport University to honor Fitzgerald in her birth city
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1996· 2 entries
Died 1996-06-15.
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Released album “How High the Moon”.
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1995· 1 entry
Awarded National Women's Hall of Fame (1995).
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- #achievement
1993· 7 entries
Released album “Ella Swings Brightly With Nelson”.
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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, med
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Both of her legs were amputated below the knee, due to the effects of diabetes, a condition which also damaged her eyesight
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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 impairment.
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- #life
- #personal-life
After a career of nearly 60 years, Fitzgerald gave her last public performance
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Released album “Jazz Portraits Ella Fitzgerald”.
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Released album “I Love Paris”.
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1992· 1 entry
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by George H. W. Bush (1992).
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1991· 1 entry
And her last public performances two years later
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1989· 1 entry
Released album “All That Jazz”.
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1987· 1 entry
And America's highest non-military honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom
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1986· 2 entries
Released album ““Easy Living””.
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Received an honorary doctorate of music from Yale University
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1985· 2 entries
Awarded NEA Jazz Masters (1985).
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Briefly for respiratory problems, in 1986 for congestive heart failure, and in 1990 for exhaustion
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1983· 2 entries
Released album “Nice Work If You Can Get It”.
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Released album “Speak Love”.
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1982· 3 entries
Awarded Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year (1982).
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Released album “A Classy Pair”.
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Released album “The Best Is Yet to Come”.
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1981· 2 entries
Released album “I Giganti Del Jazz Vol. 33”.
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Released album “Ella Abraça Jobim: Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Song Book”.
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1980· 3 entries
Released album “The Incomparable Ella”.
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Released album “I giganti del jazz, vol. 1”.
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Performed a medley of standards in a duet with Karen Carpenter on the Carpenters' television special Music, Music, Music
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1979· 2 entries
Awarded Kennedy Center Honors (1979).
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Released album “Ella Fitzgerald”.
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1978· 4 entries
Released album ““Fine and Mellow”: Ella Fitzgerald Jams”.
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Released album “Dream Dancing: Ella Fitzgerald & Cole Porter”.
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Released album “The George And Ira Gershwin Songbook”.
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Released album “Lady Time”.
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- #release
- #work
1976· 3 entries
Released album “Fitzgerald and Pass… Again”.
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Released album “Canta / Ella Fitzgerald”.
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Released album “Ella and Oscar”.
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1974· 2 entries
Released album “Take Love Easy”.
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With pianist Tommy Flanagan, guitarist Joe Pass, bassist Keter Betts and drummer Bobby Durham, was considered by many to be some of her best work
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1973· 1 entry
Released album “The Magic Of Christmas”.
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1972· 3 entries
And 1983; the albums being, respectively, Ella Loves Cole and Nice Work If You Can Get It
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Released album “The Four Queens of Jazz”.
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Released album “Ella Loves Cole”.
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1971· 1 entry
Released album “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be (and You Better Believe It)”.
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1969· 1 entry
Released album “Ella”.
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1968· 2 entries
Released album “30 by Ella”.
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Released album “Misty Blue”.
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1967· 4 entries
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas”.
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Awarded Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1967).
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Released album “Brighten the Corner”.
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Released album “Smooth Sailing”.
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1966· 4 entries
Released album “Ella at Duke’s Place”.
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Released album “Ella & Louis”.
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Released album “Whisper Not”.
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- #release
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Released album “The Best of Ella Fitzgerald”.
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- #release
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1965· 1 entry
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Song Book”.
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1964· 2 entries
Released album “Hello Dolly!”.
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Released album “Hello, Dolly!”.
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1963· 5 entries
Released album “Ella and Basie!”.
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And Fitzgerald permanently returned to the United States
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Released album “These Are the Blues”.
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Released album “Ella Sings Broadway”.
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Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook”.
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1962· 1 entry
Released album “Ella Swings Gently With Nelson”.
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1961· 4 entries
Released album “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!”.
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Released album “Ella’s Golden Favorites”.
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Fitzgerald bought a house in the Klampenborg district of Copenhagen, Denmark, after she began a relationship with a Danish man
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Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book”.
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1960· 6 entries
Released album “Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas”.
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For $3 million and in 1967 MGM failed to renew Fitzgerald's contract
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Released album “Hello Love”.
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Released album “Let No Man Write My Epitaph”.
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Released album “For Sentimental Reasons”.
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Released album “Ella and Chick Webb 1938/39, Vol. II”.
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- #work
1959· 7 entries
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book”.
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Released album “Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers”.
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- #release
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Released album “Get Happy!”.
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- #release
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Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Song Book, Volume 1”.
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Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Gershwin Song Book, Vol. 2”.
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Fitzgerald became the first African-American woman to win at the inaugural show
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Released album “Ella Swings Lightly”.
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1958· 3 entries
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book”.
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- #release
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Released album “The First Lady of Song”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Invite You to Listen and Relax”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1957· 7 entries
Released album “Like Someone in Love”.
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Released album “Ella and Louis Again, Volume Two”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Ella and Louis Again”.
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- #release
- #work
Released album “Porgy & Bess”.
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- #release
- #work
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book”.
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- #release
- #work
Released album “Ella and Her Fellas”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
- #work
1956· 4 entries
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book”.
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- #work
Released album “Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book”.
- #musicbrainz
- #release
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Released album “Ella and Louis”.
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- #work
Was the first of eight "Song Book" sets Fitzgerald would record for Verve at irregular intervals from 1956 to 1964
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- #event
1955· 3 entries
Fitzgerald opened her initial engagement at the Mocambo nightclub in Hollywood, after Marilyn Monroe lobbied the owner for the booking
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- #event
Released album “Sweet and Hot”.
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- #release
- #work
Released album “Lullabies of Birdland”.
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- #release
- #work
1954· 2 entries
Released album “Ella-Songs in a Mellow Mood”.
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On her way to one of her concerts in Australia she was unable to board the Pan American flight because of racial discrimination
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- #event
1953· 2 entries
Fitzgerald and Brown got divorced in 1953 due to the various career pressures both were experiencing at the time, though they would continue to perform together.
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- #personal-life
Due to the various career pressures both were experiencing at the time, though they would continue to perform together
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1952· 1 entry
And 1953, according to stories published at the time in Jet magazine and Billboard
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1950· 1 entry
Released album “Ella Sings Gershwin”.
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1949· 4 entries
Norman Granz recruited Fitzgerald for the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour
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From 1949 to 1956, Fitzgerald resided in the St.
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In 1949, Norman Granz recruited Fitzgerald for the Jazz at the Philharmonic tour.
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Released album “Souvenir Album”.
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1947· 1 entry
Her second marriage was in December 1947, to the famous bass player Ray Brown, whom Fitzgerald had met while on tour with Dizzy Gillespie's band a year earlier.
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- #life
- #personal-life
1942· 1 entry
With increasing dissent and money concerns in the band, Fitzgerald started to work as lead singer with The Three Keys, and in July, her band played their last concert at Earl Theatre in Philadelphia
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1941· 1 entry
To Benny Kornegay, a convicted drug dealer and local dockworker
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1939· 2 entries
And his band was renamed Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra, with Fitzgerald taking on the role of bandleader
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Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career
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1934· 2 entries
In one of the earliest Amateur Nights at the Apollo Theater
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“When I wanted things to happen too fast, Chick would say,”
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- #trusted-source
- #www.loc.gov
- #corroborated
1932· 1 entry
When Fitzgerald was 15 years old, her mother died from injuries sustained in a car accident
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1917· 1 entry
Born 1917-04-25.
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- #birth