Ella Fitzgerald Essay examples - 614 Words

Ella Fitzgerald To some, Ella Fitzgerald had a hard life from the moment she was born. To others, Ella had it made. Ella Fitzgerald was born April 25th 1917 in Virginia. Soon afterwards, her parents separated and Ella followed her mother to Yonkers, New York. Ella was barely a teenager when her mother died. While still coping with this tragedy, Ella found herself failing school and having frequent run-ins with the police. She was also abused by her caretakers while in the custody of a reform school. At age 15 Ella ran away from school along with the horrible memories of that time. Somehow she managed to support herself through the Great Depression, a feat that is most commendable. Ella found her†¦show more content†¦Ellas voice had a sweetness to it that was rarely accompanied by such a wide range as hers. Her style has been described as effortless, natural, flexible, ageless and accessible. Many call her The First Lady of Song. She started as a swing singer, moved to bebop, perfected scat and jazz and could sing modern or classic songs. Artists whose songs she stylized included Louis Armstrong, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and the Gershwins. Throughout her life she collaborated on more than 250 albums, sold more than 40 million of those albums and won 13 Grammy awards. Her influence soon spread throughout the musical circuit and her singing style was much imitated in the 1950s and 1960s. Ellas trademark of scat singing (a technique in which the singer improvises as an instrument would and uses nonsense syllables) was taken up by many male and female jazz vocalists. Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday and the modern day Joss Stone all show signs of Ellas influence. Ella is also credited with inspiring the great Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet and Mel Torme to some extent. Although Ellas influence through style is great, perhaps her greatest achievement can be noticed in her career as a whole. Ella Fitzgerald was an influential woman with many followers around the world, of all races, religions and nationalities. In many ways she opened theShow MoreRelatedElla Fitzgerald Essay656 Words   |  3 PagesElla Fitzgerald Singer. Born April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia. (Though many biographical sources give her birth date as 1918, her birth certificate and school records show her to have been born a year earlier.) Often referred to as the first lady of song, Fitzgerald enjoyed a career that stretched over six decades. With her lucid intonation and a range of three octaves, she became the preeminent jazz singer of her generation, recording over 2,000 songs, selling over 40 million albumsRead MoreElla Fitzgerald Biography Essay1454 Words   |  6 PagesBiography Dubbed The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, sweet jazz and imitate every instrument in an orchestra. She worked with all the jazz greats, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat King Cole, to Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie andRead More Ella Fitzgerald - The Gold Collection Essay example513 Words   |  3 PagesElla Fitzgerald - The Gold Collection The overall illusion of Ella Fitzgerald’s The Gold Collection album is a reflection of the trials and tribulations of love. The collection consists of many tracks that have passionate lyrical value, that the words instantly relate to those moments in life when you are struggling with devotion for a significant other. The album is arranged in a precise manner, where those melancholy and heartrending songs are preceded by upbeat, catchy tunes, that even withRead MoreThe Roaring 20 s `` Changed Ella Fitzgerald s Lifestyle And Her Music1003 Words   |  5 PagesThe â€Å"Roaring 20’s† changed Ella Fitzgerald’s lifestyle and her music by providing outstanding musicians, financial struggles, and popular music leading her to become one of the most prominent singers of all time. Though life provided numerous struggles she still managed to push through and complete her childhood dreams of becoming an entertainer. Fitzgerald’s voice developed through the sty le of music in the 20’s, eminent artists vocal structure and the emotion she channeled into her music due toRead MoreElla Fitzgeralds Influences1541 Words   |  7 PagesElla Fitzgerald is known as the â€Å"First Lady of Song,† and for good reason. Throughout her career, Fitzgerald took jazz singing to new heights of fame and popularity, influencing the style of jazz and future generations of musicians. Today, her music remains well-known and loved, and her long and prolific career reflects her impeccable skill and style. Her influence is still strong today, with singers such as Adele, Mica Paris, Lady Gaga, and Lana Del Rey (BBC) citing Fitzgerald as a major influenceRead MoreElla Scatted Her Way to the Top of teh World1210 Words   |  5 Pages Ella Scatted Her Way to the Top of the World The early 1900s was a violent and horrible time to look back at. Americans have came a long way since then. America couldnt have gone through a more rough time. From racism and discrimination to the Great Depression. At the time African Americans were looked down upon by some people of different races. Hate crimes were common as well as discrimination in restaurants and other public places. A common quote from the time was â€Å"Separate but equal†Read MoreEssay about The Ultimate Collection by George Gershwin635 Words   |  3 PagesCollection by George Gershwin George Gershwins The ultimate collection, is a compilation of Gershwins greatest hits. The compilation is made out of two CDs; the first cd is Gershwins pieces sung by different jazz singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and more#8230; The second cd, is Gerswhins famous pieces taken from musical shows such as Porgy and Bess, Rhapsody in Blue, Cuban overture, Funny face and more. FirstRead MoreBiography of Janis Siegel620 Words   |  3 PagesHollywood Bowl Tribute for Ella Fitzgerald† to which she was very eager to participant in. In March of 2008, she was asked again to pay a tribute to one of her idols in an event called, â€Å"LA Phil Presents A Tribute to Ella† in Los Angeles at the Disney Hall. In 2008, she produced and sang a tribute to Johnny Mercer which featured one of her sideline girl trio’s called JaLaLa. Then in 2010, she became a member of another group at the Kennedy Center that celebrated Ella Fitzgerald again. In today’s timeRead MoreLouis Armstrong And Duke Ellington804 Words   |  4 Pagestechnique to master because singers must be able to use their voices as instruments. So Louis Armstrong started it and after came Bing Crosby, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald. Due to Louis Armstrong creation of scat we have the amazing Ella Fitzgerald who s is known as the First Lady of Song. The album that Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald created has joined The Grammys Hall Of Fame as of November 22, 2015. So, the influences that Louis Armstrong had are still here to this day. Next traitRead MoreNat King Cole s Vocal Style1434 Words   |  6 Pageswere segregated, vowed to not return to the south after being attacked during a performance, and sued hotels which denied him. Cole became the first Black man to host a television show, The Nat King Cole Show, where he hosted many guests such as Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett. Ultimately the show was only on air for two years due to lack of sponsorship. Cole believed it was due to his race. Despite the fact Cole made a difference in how the public viewed African-Americans, there were times when he