Where was ella fitzgerald born

Ella Fitzgerald

1917-1996

Who Was Ella Fitzgerald?

Ella Fitzgerald turned to singing after a troubled childhood and debuted at the Apollo Theater in 1934. Discovered in an amateur contest, she went on to become the top female jazz singer for decades. In 1958, Fitzgerald made history as the first African American woman to win a Grammy Award. Due in no small part to her vocal quality, with lucid intonation and a broad range, the singer would go on to win 13 Grammys in total and sell more than 40 million albums. Her multi-volume "songbooks" on Verve Records are among America's recording treasures.

Early Years

Born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia, singer Fitzgerald was the product of a common-law marriage between William Fitzgerald and Temperance "Tempie" Williams Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald experienced a troubled childhood that began with her parents separating shortly after her birth.

With her mother, Fitzgerald moved to Yonkers, New York. They lived there with her mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva. The family grew in 1923 with the arrival of

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz vocalist with a vocal range spanning three octaves (D♭3 to D♭6). Often referred to as the "First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of Jazz" or just simply "Lady Ella", she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
Fitzgerald was a notable interpreter of the Great American Songbook. Over the course of her 60-year recording career, she sold 40 million copies of her 70-plus albums, won 14 Grammy Awards and received during her career many other major awards and honors.

Early life

Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, the daughter of William Fitzgerald and Temperance "Tempie" Fitzgerald. Her parents were unmarried, and they had separated within a year of her birth. With her mother's new partner, a Portuguese immigrant named Joseph Da Silva, Ella and her mother moved to the city of Yonkers, in Westchester County, New York, as part of the fi

Ella Fitzgerald, known as “The First Lady of Song,” was a revolutionary American jazz singer who performed all over the world. Her signature style included her iconic vocal range, clear tone and ability to improvise with her hallmark scat singing. Her many awards and accolades are a reflection of the colossal inspiration she was to many.  

Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia to mother, Temperance (Tempie) Henry and father, William Fitzgerald. A few years after her birth, Fitzgerald’s parents separated and her mother met her new partner, Joseph da Silva. Fitzgerald and her mother moved to Yonkers, New York to move in with da Silva. Frances, Fitzgerald’s half-sister, was born in 1923. The two women remained close for the rest of Fitzgerald’s life.

Fitzgerald was a great student. She lived in a diverse neighborhood and made friends easily by playing games and sports in the street. Fitzgerald also loved dancing and singing, often catching shows at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Her primary exposure to music was through attending services with her fa

Copyright ©mobthaw.pages.dev 2025