Ella Fitzgerald born on Apr. 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia but raised in Yonkers, New York.
After her father walked out on her family at a young age, she found herself struggling in school and living in poverty.
According to this biography, In 1934, at the age of 17, Fitzgerald took the stage at the Apollo Theater’s amateur night in Harlem. At first she was planning on performing a dance, but then she changed her mind at the last moment and decided to sing. Her cover of “Judy” amazed those listening and sparked the beginning of her extraordinary career.
Shortly after, she was discovered by a bandleader, Chick Webb, who took her under his wing. This brought her to national fame. After Webb’s passing, she took over as the bandleader which was a bold and never seen before move for a young Black woman in music at the time.
Fitzgerald’s rise to fame was not easy for her. As a Black woman during her time, she experienced a lot of discrimination and segregation. In one case, while touring in Australia, even though she and her entourage had first class tickets, they were kicked off of the plane, and were not allowed to retrieve their luggage and clothing. (according to this Australian newspaper archive) Despite this, the tour was still a roaring success, and set a new box office record.
One of the most known stories of her fight against discrimination involved the Mocambo nightclub in Los Angeles. The club had a strict policy against booking Black performers, but actress Marilyn Monroe, a fan of Fitzgerald, personally intervened, vowing to sit in the front row every night if they gave Fitzgerald a chance. Her promise resulted in Fitzgerald’s show selling out and eventually eliminating the club’s racist policy.
Fitzgerald paved the way for many Black artists in the music industry, inspiring legends like Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, and Natalie Cole, Fitzgerald’s legacy still remains today.
