Fun fact for jazz enthusiast and history music buffs, today marks the birthday of the late jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, born in 1917.
Known as the "First Lady of Song," Fitzgerald was discovered by saxophonist Benny Carter who was leading the house band on the night she participated in Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre in 1934. Soon after, her career would skyrocket.
In 1938, she recorded a version of the Tin Pan Alley song "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" that went on to sell one million copies. Later, in 1946, Dizzy Gillespie hired Fitzgerald to be the vocalist in his band, where she was introduced to Norman Granz, the famous jazz manager and producer who started up the Jazz At The Philharmonic series.
With Granz, Fitzgerald also recorded the infamous songbook series that would forever cement her legacy in music history. From Cole Porter to Duke Ellington, Fitzgerald dedicated whole albums to singing the work of the most celebrated songwriters of her time. The entire series - eight albums in all - was packaged by the Verve label in 1994 and reissued. It won the 1995 Grammy for Best Historical Recording. Fitzgerald also recorded two popular duet albums with Louis Armstrong, 1956's 'Ella and Louis' and 1957's 'Ella and Louis Again.'
Fitzgerald passed away on June 15, 1996 in her Beverly Hills home. To this day, she is considered one of the most technically sound singers in jazz history. Her range was on par with that of opera singers, and her improvisation skills were admired by many of her instrument-playing peers. She won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums during her career.
A personal favorite - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong sing George Gershwin's 'You Can't Take That Away From Me.' Enjoy.