Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was an American jazz singer known as the First Lady of Song. She won 13 Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice spanned three octaves with exceptional clarity, purity, and intonation. She is best known for her Songbook series — eight albums interpreting the works of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, and other Great American Songbook composers — which are considered the definitive interpretations of these works. She was also one of the greatest scat singers in history. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.

What Is the Songbook Series?

The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook series (1956-1964) comprises eight albums dedicated to individual American songwriters: Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer. The series is considered the definitive recorded interpretation of the Great American Songbook and elevated both Fitzgerald and the composers to wider cultural recognition.

What Is Scat Singing?

Scat singing is jazz vocal improvisation using nonsense syllables. Fitzgerald is considered the greatest scat singer in history. Her scat improvisations were so musically sophisticated that instrumentalists studied them as jazz solos. She reportedly began scatting when she forgot lyrics during a performance and improvised — discovering a talent that became her signature.

What Was Ella's Early Life?

Fitzgerald had a difficult childhood — her mother died when she was 15, she was sent to a reform school, and she was briefly homeless. She won a talent contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in 1934 at age 17 and was discovered by drummer Chick Webb, who became her mentor. By 19, she was singing with Webb's band and had her first number-one hit (A-Tisket, A-Tasket, 1938).

Can You Talk to Ella?

Ella Fitzgerald is available as an AI companion on HoloDream. Her voice is the purest instrument in jazz history.