Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
Date | Event |
---|---|
1917 April 25 | Born Ella Jane Fitzgerald in Newport News, Virgina, to William and Temperance (Tempie) Fitzgerald |
1932 | Mother died from injuries sustained in a car crash |
1934 November | Won an amateur contest sponsored by the Apollo Theatre, New York |
1935 | Won an opportunity to perform for one week at the Harlem Opera House |
1935 March | Began performing with the Chick Webb Band |
1935-1939 | Recorded with Chick Webb and his orchestra |
1935-1955 | Under contract to the Decca label, where she recorded a total of 612 recordings |
1936 | First recording, Love and Kisses released on the Decca label |
1937 | Named top female vocalist, Down Beat magazine |
1938 | First number one song "A-tisket, A-tasket" |
1939 June 16 | Webb died; Fitzgerald took over direction of the band for the next three years |
1939 | Hit song "Undecided" |
1939-1940 | Married to Benny Kornegay |
1939-1941 | Recorded as Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra |
1942 | Appeared in the film Ride ‘em, Cowboy |
1946 | Began association with producer Norman Granz and his Jazz at the Philharmonic |
1946-1952 | Married to Ray Brown |
1949 | Son Ray Brown, Jr. born |
1954 | Named best female vocalist, Metronome magazine and Down Beat magazine |
1955 | Appeared in the film Pete Kelly's Blues |
1956 | Joined Granz's newly-founded Verve label Named all star female, Metronome magazine |
1956-1966 | Under contract to the Verve record label, where she recorded 1,191 titles |
1958 | At first Grammy Awards, won best female vocal performance for The Irving Berlin Songbook and best individual jazz performance for The Duke Ellington Songbook Appeared in the film St. Louis Blues |
1959 | Won best female vocal performance (single) Grammy for But Not for Me and best individual jazz performance (album) for Ella Swings Lightly |
1960 | Won best female vocal performance (single) Grammy for Mack the Knife and best female vocal performance (album) for Ella in Berlin Awarded honorary membership to Alpha Kappa Alpha Appeared in the film Let No Man Write My Epitaph |
1962 | Won best female solo vocal performance Grammy for Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson Riddle |
1965 | Received first ASCAP award in recognition of an artist |
1966-1971 | This period is referred to as the "Concert Years." Fitzgerald was not under contract to any one recording company, but made 284 recordings on various labels |
1967 | Won Bing Crosby (Lifetime Achievement) Award Awarded honorary chairmanship of the newly formed Martin Luther King Foundation |
1972-1992 | Under contract to the Pablo label, where she recorded 266 titles |
1976 | Ella Fitzgerald Day celebrated in Los Angeles (April 1) Receives Honorary Doctorate in Music from Dartmouth College Won best jazz vocal performance Grammy for Fitzgerald & Pass ... Again (album) |
1979 | Won best jazz vocal performance Grammy for Fine and Mellow (album) Received Kennedy Center Honors Award |
1980 | Received Honorary Doctor of Music from Howard University Won best female jazz vocal performance Grammy for A Perfect Match (album), recorded with Count Basie and instrumental ensemble |
1981 | Won best female jazz vocal performance Grammy for Digital III at Montreaux (album) |
1982 | Named Hasty Pudding Club Woman of the Year |
1983 | Peabody Award for outstanding contributions to music in America Won best female jazz vocal performance Grammy for The Best is Yet to Come (album) |
1986 September | Underwent quintuple coronary bypass surgery |
1987 | Received UCLA Medal for Musical Achievements and National Medal of Arts |
1988 | Received NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement |
1990 | Won best female jazz vocal performance Grammy for All that Jazz (album) – her last recording and her twelfth Grammy Received Commander of Arts and Letters (France) and Honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University |
1992 December | Final performance in Palm Beach, Florida |
1996 June 15 | Died in Beverly Hills, California |