Ella Fitzgerald

During the singer's lifetime, fans sold 40 million records. For half a century, Ella Jane Fitzgerald has presented music lovers with 90 albums, including solo and recorded with other world stars. In the 1950s, it became a tradition to invite "Lady Jazz" to concerts at the White House.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Ivy Brand (@ the1ivybrand) on Mar 27, 2019 at 1:35 pm PDT

Music critics have argued that the singer has "broken" the boundaries of what is possible and will even sing a telephone directory if she wishes. Fitzgerald succeeded in something that no one had done before: she was the first vocalist to improvise the sounds of musical instruments with her voice. Ella explained the miracle simply:

The 13-time Grammy winner and winner of all the most prestigious existing awards has become a legend of world jazz, and her name has become a household name for music lovers and vocalists.

Born "Lady Jazz" in the spring of 1917 in the town of Newport News. Ella's parents inherited African American and Irish blood. William Fitzgerald turned the steering wheel of a forklift truck. He left his 23-year-old common-law wife, the washerwoman Tempi, shortly after the birth of baby Ella Jane. To survive, Temperance and her tiny daughter moved to the more "grain" Yonkers in the southeast of New York.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jake Orozco (@mastersigh) on Mar 28, 2019 at 9:12 am PDT

In Yonkers, the woman met an immigrant from Portugal, and after 6 years Ella had a half-sister, Francis. The devout family attended Methodist church services every Sunday. Here Ella Fitzgerald sang for the first time, carefully bringing out spiritual African American songs - gospel songs - behind black church vocalists.

Mother and stepfather barely made ends meet: there was enough money for food and room rent. But the eldest daughter grew up as a cheerful child who saw only the bright sides in the surrounding reality. Ella Fitzgerald was interested in cinema, music, dance and sports. Left alone, the girl put on the records of Connie Boswell and learned songs, repeating the performance one to one. Like all black courtyard children, Ella danced well and believed that dancing would become her profession.

These Foolish Things (remind me of you). What a fabulous song! Let's all enjoy it together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mshV7ug8cdE

At the age of 14, Fitzgerald was orphaned: her mother died of a heart attack. Ella dropped out of school and soon forgot her way to school. Due to the frequent scandals with her stepfather, the girl left home and settled in Harlem with her aunt. But the future jazz vocalist did not return to school. To bring money into the house, a minor Ella Fitzgerald got a job as a caretaker in a Harlem brothel and saw the inside of life.

Soon guardianship services and cops became interested in the girl. Ella Jane ended up in an orphanage in the Bronx, from where she was soon transferred to a girls' boarding school. Freedom-loving Fitzgerald escaped from the Hudson boarding school and found herself on the street: returning to her aunt's house was tantamount to returning to the walls of the boarding school.

Элла Фицджеральд вернулась в Гарлем, где подрабатывала танцовщицей в клубах. Судьба подкинула ей шанс вырваться из объятий нищеты: в ноябре 1934 начинающие вокалисты и танцоры подали заявки на участие в конкурсе аматоров, который проводился на подмостках гарлемского театра «Аполло». Фицджеральд разучила танец и пришла на конкурс, но в последний день перед представлением юная артистка передумала танцевать, узнав об участии сильных соперников: танцевальный номер Элла заменила вокальным.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leo Kornalijnslijper (@leokornajazz) on Mar 28, 2019 at 4:34am PDT

Для выступления у Эллы Фицджеральд было единственное платье, мало походившее на сценический наряд. Впервые вышедшая на сцену девушка растерялась и с ужасом поняла, что голос пропал. Ведущий шуткой прервал выступление и, приободрив конкурсантку, дал ей второй шанс. Композицию Judy Элла спела так, что зал онемел от восхищения. Фицджеральд победила и получила награду: 25 долларов и ангажемент в «Аполло» на неделю.

Творческая биография Эллы Фицджеральд развивалась поступательно. Первую ступеньку вокалистка преодолела в 1935 году, когда ее приняли в знаменитый джазовый оркестр Уэбба. На просмотр к руководителю девушку привел вокалист Чарлз Линтон, которому Чик Уэбб доверил найти талантливую певицу.

Seeing unkempt and awkward Ella, on whose feet men's boots "flaunted", Chick refused to listen. But Linton insisted, and Webb gave up. After listening to the young singer, he signed a contract. In the same year, Ella Fitzgerald recorded her debut album with the Webb Orchestra.

Since the summer of 1935, Fitzgerald has performed at the Apollo stage and at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. The ballroom soon gained popularity, with audiences flocking to the Savoy to listen to Ella from all over the city. The venerable musicians were amazed at the vocalist's sense of rhythm and her light, "dancing" voice.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by History 101 (@ history101_magazine) on Mar 17, 2019 at 8:38 am PDT

Soon, the pure youthful timbre of Fitzgerald was praised and praised in every way by music critics. New albums that Ella records with enviable regularity are instantly bought up by the public. The singer becomes famous, she is invited to radio and television broadcasts.

Benny Goodman welcomes Fitzgerald to his show, and Teddy Hill is engaged to sing with his orchestra. But Ella returned to Webb a year later, remembering that thanks to him, an unknown Harlem girl turned into a star whose concerts are difficult to get.

The vocalist worked with Chick Webb for the last 7 years of his life. After the death of maestro Ella took over the orchestra, but in 1942 she returned to the stage: the desire to devote strength only to singing won out. At that time, Ella Fitzgerald is a hyped pop singer, whose records are sold out like hot cakes. But the path to jazz was just beginning.

The performer listened to the magic singing of Louis Armstrong and repeated what she heard, not without success. Soon, Ella Fitzgerald came to the realization that you need to look for your niche, and not sing someone else's songs. The vocalist learns to improvise and by the mid-1940s she becomes a different singer, even changing her appearance. It blurs the line between voice and instrument.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miss Golden Era (@missgoldenera) on Mar 27, 2019 at 6:16 pm PDT

Fitzgerald's finest hour came in the post-war years, when fashionable be-bop replaced traditional jazz. Ella's songs Flying Home and Lady Be Good become masterpieces of jazz art. In 1945 the “Lady Jazz” triumphant march across the continents began. Fitzgerald soon recorded the single All of me, a hit previously performed by Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday.

Manager Norman Grantz helped to fully reveal the vocalist's jazz talent. He made America and Europe recognize jazz as an art, not just a vocal genre. In the life of Ella Fitzgerald, this man played a major role. He took over the singer's household chores, selected the repertoire and musical accompaniment, allowing Ella to direct her energies to art and not be distracted by anything else.

The Summertime hit Ella Fitzgerald sang solo and duet with Armstrong. The single performed by her entered the world treasury of jazz art.

Together with Louis Armstrong, the vocalist released 3 studio discs. Two are composed of jazz standards, and the third are arias-arrangements from the opera Porgy and Bess by composer George Gershwin. One of the most striking arrangements is Lullaby.

Ella Fitzgerald has always been interested in cinema. In 1955, she managed to star in the movie "Pete Kelly Blues". Director Jack Webb invited the singer to play Maggie Jackson. Critics greeted the picture coolly, but said that it should be seen for the 5 minutes when Fitzgerald appears on the screen.

The 1950s and 60s are the African American star's most prolific years. Ella's colleagues and friends talked about Fitzgerald's incredible ability to work. She fell silent only in her sleep, the rest of the time she sang the motive she liked, modeling options, continuously.

In the 1960s, "Lady Ella" had millions in her bank account, but money lost its meaning: life took on meaning on stage. Ella Fitzgerald sang until the early 1990s, when she lost her health and voice. She last appeared on stage in 1992. The 79-year-old singer has spent more than 60 years on the stage.

Ella Jane has been married twice. For the first time she went down the aisle at 24, at the beginning of World War II. The star lived with Benny Kornegay for two years and realized that nothing binds them.

The second time, Ella Fitzgerald became a married woman in 1947. Her chosen one, Ray Brown, is an African American musician who played the double bass. This union turned out to be longer, but also ended in divorce. The six-year marriage broke up for the only reason: family chores distracted the singer from the main thing - singing.

But the ended marriage did not put an end to the relationship of the couple - Fitzgerald and Brown were tied up by Ella's adopted nephew. The former spouses continued their cooperation on stage. Ray Brown Jr. followed in the footsteps of his adoptive parents and became a popular jazzman.

In the late 1950s, newspapers wrote about Lady Jazz's third marriage to musician Thor Larsen, but there is no confirmation of the rumors.

In the mid-1970s, Ella Fitzgerald's health deteriorated: she was diagnosed with diabetes. The singer lost her voice, but she fought bravely, continuing to go on stage.

In 1986, the vocalist underwent heart surgery, and in 1993, both legs were amputated.

Blinded after developing cataracts, Ella Fitzgerald retired in a wheelchair in her home in Beverly Hills.

Next to the woman were her son Ray and granddaughter Alice. The celebrity passed away in 1996. The jazz star who did not live to see his 80th birthday was buried in a California cemetery.

1950 - Ella Sings Gershwin 1954 - Songs in a Mellow Mood 1955 - Sweet and Hot 1957 - Porgy and Bess 1958 - Get Happy! 1960 - Hello, Love 1961 - Ella in Hollywood 1965 - Ella in Hamburg 1968 - Sunshine of Your Love 1974 - Ella in London 1979 - A Perfect Match 1983 - Sophisticated Lady

Ella Fitzgerald 's estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below.

Let's check, How Rich is Ella Fitzgerald in 2020 ?

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2021

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $1.1M in 2021. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $856K - $1M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2020

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $2M in 2020. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $869.8K - $1.5M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2019

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $1.7M in 2019. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $557.7K - $1.1M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2018

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $1.4M in 2018. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $777.5K - $1.4M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2017

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $1.7M in 2017. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $903.3K - $1.9M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2016

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $1.9M in 2016. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $994.9K - $1.1M.

Ella Fitzgerald Net Worth 2015

Ella Fitzgerald 's revenue is $2M in 2015. It is an approximate forecast of how rich is Ella Fitzgerald and could vary in the range between $954.3K - $1.8M.

It is an overall forecast for the net worth of Ella Fitzgerald. The evaluation covers the latest 5 years and an approximation for next year. See above to learn how much money does Ella Fitzgerald makes a year.

The range above shows an estimation based on evaluation generated by public information about sponsorships or other sources found on the internet. It's summarized data from Ella Fitzgerald's projects existing in AidWiki's repository. It's an approximation of the revenue compiled by AidWiki and may not correspond with the real amount.