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Today In History

Ella Fitzgerald, dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” was born in Newport News, VA, on this date April 25, 1918.

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.

Ella Fitzgerald 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 and Benny Goodman. (Or rather, some might say all the jazz greats had the pleasure of working with Ella.)

CARTER™️ Magazine

#ella fitzgerald

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Ella Fitzgerald performing at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival.

#ella fitzgerald

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Happy birthday, Ella! Lucky you, getting to celebrate it in heaven (and with Frank 🤭). ♥️

#ella fitzgerald

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Ella Fitzgerald (1917 – 1996)

#ella fitzgerald

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I had to post this. I just had to. I SO WISH the sound quality was better than it is, but you can still hear Heaven though the poor quaity.

#ella fitzgerald #midnight sun #live #Youtube

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Want to experience absolute transcendence? Listen to this.

#ella fitzgerald #midnight sun #Youtube #the live version she did on The Andy Williams Show is even better than this #did you hear me? #BETTER THAN THIS! #But the sound quality is poor

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Ella Fitzgerald

#ella fitzgerald

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Ella Fitzgerald

#ella fitzgerald

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Still love this.

#ella fitzgerald #ella and frank #frank sinatra #1958

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He made a quick stop through NYC, it's inferred, to see Ella perform at the Copa. ♥️

Also, while Moonlight in Vermont is a more scenic song, if you see them perform it, they're trying their damndest not to stare lovingly at each other. It's a sight to behold. See below, especially (0:04-0:11)

#ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra #ella and frank #Youtube

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A mural of Ella and Frank at the York Hotel in York, Pennsylvania. (I love it).

#ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra #ella and frank

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Look at those hands. Certain this was after Frank got the "Ella" award in 1990.

#ella and frank #ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra

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#ella and frank #ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra

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Just noticed this in the citations of Becoming Ella Fitzgerald. What stands out is "likes men short and hats dizzy". Frank was short and was known to wear hats (!!!). This article came out in 1937 which was when Ella was still with Chick Webb's band and while Frank was with Tommy Dorsey. (I could be wrong as to the years so I will double check, but it's highly possible that this was around the time she'd go to the Paramount theater to gawk at Frank). Anyway, I'm on a mission to find the actual article now.

AND I found it (who's the best librarian in the world?)

EDITS: So, Frank joined Tommy Dorsey in 1940, so this article is before she'd go see him at the Paramount Theater. Also, Frank didn't start wearing hats until the 1950s. ALSO, the hats the title refers to are the hats Ella herself likes to wear. Either way, I'm so tickled that I found (and had access) to this article. Thank God for archivists.

#ella fitzgerald #ella and frank #frank sinatra

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Sometimes, I feel bad for myself, because I am certain I will never hear a voice as pure and perfect as Ella's ever again. Her voice is beyond this world. The female voice of God.

I really wonder how I lived so much of my life without hearing her voice, but then I'm grateful that she's with me now.

#ella fitzgerald #bewitched bothered and bewildered #Youtube

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Her "intense admiration" coupled with his knowledge that she loved singing ballads (and made sure she got to do so on his show) says so much. ♥️

#ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra #ella and frank

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🤭 (also, it seems like they went to each other's concerts whenever they could)

#ella fitzgerald #frank sinatra #ella and frank