Ella Fitzgerald, “the First Lady of Song,” had a voice so nuanced that it conveyed vast emotions within the contexts of jazz and soul with unparalleled grace and dignity.
Born April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Va., she grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., working odd jobs — including one as a runner for local gamblers — then, as a teenager, she’d go to Harlem and catch shows at the Apollo. There, in 1934, she won a chance to compete in Amateur Night, and only decided to sing (she was going to dance initially) after a dance group, the Edwards Sisters, did such a great job that she needed to switch gears. Fitzgerald wowed the crowd, and from that moment, her career was set. “I knew I wanted to sing before people the rest of my life,” she once said.
By the mid-1930s, as the frontwoman of Chick Webb’s big band, Fitzgerald started experimenting with her voice, using it as an additional horn in the group in the emerging style that became known as scatting. To this day, her masterful use of it is copied by vocalists the world over. At 21, Fitzgerald became a star with her sprightly version of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” which sold more than one million copies. Over the next decades, she was a fixture in jazz and entertainment, touring and performing with pretty much everyone of note while cementing her own status as a cornerstone in music.
Fitzgerald’s stature has only grown since then. Here are 16 songs chosen by musicians, authors, curators and scholars who admire the singer’s contributions to art and culture. Find playlists embedded below, and don’t forget to leave your own favorites in the comments.
Once Cupid’s arrow strikes, falling in love is the easy part. Staying in love is where we get one chance in a lifetime to conjure the best of ourselves with the only true love of our lives. I write this with joy in my soul and sadness in my heart as I dedicate this Ella Fitzgerald song, “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” to my brother and his wife, Rae Marie Hockett. You see, Rae Marie and Jason were high school sweethearts. I wasn’t initially sure if they were a fling or forever. But until death do us part was truly their love story. Last month, Rae passed away suddenly from heart issues at 45. Her life was short but full of love and sweetness. It was like a dream, and their passion tells the tale of longevity and beauty, as we never know how long we get to spend with those we love. Artists like Ella and Count Basie are the forces that hold us together with songs. Once the curtain closes, it might feel like a dream, but every time we hear the song, it reminds us that every moment is real. While my heart beautifully breaks with grief and loss, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” is from Ella to Rae Marie. Love true, love hard, love and let go — it will come back to you.
