Ella Fitzgerald's Career
Ella Fitzgerald's career spanned more than 50 years and featured numerous collaborations. Her versatile voice and unmatched energy speak to our souls. The images in this article are available under Creative Commons licenses, although some restrictions may apply. Please consult the appropriate licensing information before using these images. These images are not intended for commercial use. For noncommercial purposes, you may use individual images or a collection for educational purposes.
Tempie
Temperance Fitzgerald was the mother of Ella Fitzgerald. Born in Yonkers, New York, she lived in a single room with her mother and her partner. Tempie died at the age of thirty-one from a heart attack. The following year, Ella and Tempie moved to School Street, a neighborhood dominated by Italian immigrants. During her adolescence, Tempie Fitzgerald was very active in sports.
Early Life
When she was a child, Ella Fitzgerald moved to Yonkers, N.Y., with her mother's boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva. She also had a half-sister, Frances Da Silva. In 1941, Ella Fitzgerald married Benny Kornegay, a drug dealer and dockworker. In 1947, she married Ray Brown, a famed bassist. She later married her friend Ray Brown, who also became a famous jazz singer.
Challenges and Success
As a child, Ella Fitzgerald had to deal with a difficult life. After the death of her mother, she dropped out of school and worked as a lookout in a bordello and became homeless. Eventually, her mother died, and she was taken into the Riverdale Colored Orphan Asylum and sent to the New York State Training School for Girls. After escaping from the orphanage, she became a popular performer and recorded on many labels.
Tempie Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents split up soon after she was born, and Ella moved to Yonkers with her stepfather, Tempie Da Silva. After a brief relationship with Joe, Tempie died of a heart attack and Ella moved in with her aunt, Virginia. She also lived with her half-sister, Frances.
Webb's Orchestra
Ella Fitzgerald joined Webb's Orchestra at the age of fourteen. She was a member of the group until 1938. She recorded several hits with the orchestra, including "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." After the group disbanded in 1941, Fitzgerald started a solo career and recorded with the Ink Spots and the Delta Rhythm Boys. It was a great success, and Fitzgerald was praised for the vocal talent she brought to the band.
Conclusion
The first time Fitzgerald and her bandmates performed together was at an amateur contest in 1934. They feared that she would lose her voice and fall off stage, but they persevered and won the contest. Soon after, she joined Chick Webb's orchestra. Her bandmate had become her guardian when her mother died, and she recorded her first record. Her band broke up in 1942.
