Born: 25 April 1917 · Died: 15 June 1996 · Age: 79
American jazz singer known as the First Lady of Song
Did you know?She was the first African American woman to win a Grammy Award, receiving two trophies at the first ceremony.
Quick facts
Date of birth25 April 1917
Date of death15 June 1996
Age at death79
Cause of deathStroke
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceNewport News, United States
Occupationsinger-songwriter, composer, conductor
Editor's Take:
Ella Fitzgerald had a voice of rare purity and a sense of rhythm that never failed her. She survived a hard childhood and was nearly homeless as a teenager. Then one night at the Apollo changed everything. Her Songbook recordings did something new. They treated popular songs as an art form worth preserving with care. Musicians admired her perfect pitch and her playful improvising. She sang for almost six decades. Her recordings remain a model for jazz and pop singers alike.
Key Milestones
1934: Wins amateur night at the Apollo Theater
1938: Has a hit with A-Tisket, A-Tasket
1956: Begins her Songbook series
1958: Wins her first Grammy Awards
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella".
Ella Fitzgerald's birthday is April 25. She was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, United States.
How old was Ella Fitzgerald when she died?
Ella Fitzgerald died on June 15, 1996, aged 79.
Who shares a birthday with Ella Fitzgerald?
Famous people who share Ella Fitzgerald's April 25 birthday include Al Pacino, Guglielmo Marconi, Johan Cruyff, Oliver Cromwell and Stefania Turkevych-Lukiianovych.
