Fitzgerald, Ella

  1. Fitzgerald, Ella
  2. Version History

Biographical Note

1917 April 25 Born Ella Jane Fitzgerald in Newport News, Va., to William and Temperance (Tempie) Fitzgerald 1932 Mother dies from injuries sustained in a car crash 1934 Nov. Wins an amateur contest sponsored by the Apollo Theatre, New York 1935 Wins an opportunity to perform for one week at the Harlem Opera House 1935 March Begins performing with the Chick Webb Band 1935 1939 Records with Chick Webb and his orchestra 1935 1955 Under contract to the Decca label; records total of 612 recordings 1936 First recording, Love and Kisses released on the Decca label 1937 Top female vocalist, Down Beat magazine 1938 First number one song "A-tisket, A-tasket" 1939 June 16 Webb dies; Fitzgerald takes over direction of the band for the next three years 1939 Hit song "Undecided" 1939 1940 Married to Benny Kornegay 1939 1941 Records as Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra 1942 Appears in the film Ride ‘em, Cowboy 1946 Begins association with producer Norman Granz and his Jazz at the Philharmonic 1946 1952 Married to Ray Brown; son Ray Brown, Jr., is born 1954 Best female vocalist, Metronome magazine and Down Beat magazine 1955 Appears in the film Pete Kelly’s Blues 1956 Joins Granz’s newly-founded Verve label; all star female, Metronome magazine 1956 1966 Under contract to the Verve record label; records 1,191 titles 1958 At first Grammy Awards, wins best female vocal performance for The Irving Berlin Songbook and best individual jazz performance for The Duke Ellington Songbook; appears in the film St. Louis Blues 1959 Wins best female vocal performance Grammy for But Not for Me (single) and best individual jazz performance for Ella Swings Lightly (album) 1960 Wins best female vocal performance (single) Grammy for Mack the Knife and best female vocal performance (album) for Ella in Berlin; honorary membership to Alpha Kappa Alpha; appears in the film Let No Man Write My Epitaph 1962 Wins best female solo vocal performance Grammy for Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson Riddle 1965 Receives first ASCAP award in recognition of an artist 1966 1971 This period is referred to as the "Concert Years;" Fitzgerald not under contract to any one recording company, but made 284 recordings on various labels 1967 Receives Grammy Award, Bing Crosby Lifetime Achievement Award; honorary chairmanship of the newly formed Martin Luther King Foundation 1972 1992 Under contract to the Pablo label; recorded 266 titles 1976 Ella Fitzgerald Day in Los Angeles (April 1); receives Honorary Doctorate in Music from Dartmouth College; wins Grammy Award, best jazz vocal performance for Fitzgerald & Pass ... Again (album) 1979 Grammy Award, best jazz vocal performance for Fine and Mellow (album); receives Kennedy Center Honors Award 1980 Receives Honorary Doctor of Music from Howard University; wins Grammy, best female jazz vocal performance for A Perfect Match (album), recorded with Count Basie and instrumental ensemble 1981 Grammy Award, best female jazz vocal performance for Digital III at Montreaux (album) 1982 Hasty Pudding Club Woman of the Year 1983 Peabody Award for outstanding contributions to music in America; Grammy Award, best female jazz vocal performance for The Best is Yet to Come (album) 1986 September Undergoes quintuple coronary bypass surgery 1987 Receives UCLA Medal for Musical Achievements and National Medal of Arts 1988 Receives NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement 1990 Grammy Award, best female jazz vocal performance for All that Jazz (album) – her last recording and her twelfth Grammy; receives Commander of Arts and Letters (France) and Honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University 1992 December Final performance in Palm Beach, Fla. 1996 June 15 Fitzgerald dies in Beverly Hills, Calif.

From the guide to the Ella Fitzgerald Collection, 1956-1992, (bulk 1960-1985), (Music Division Library of Congress)

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