Early Childhood
• Born- April 25, 1917• Newport News, Va.• Moved to Yonkers, N.
Y. with mother, Tempie, boyfriend Joseph Da Silva, & half-sister, Frances
• Young & naïve, Ella was a runner for local gamblers
• Was a tomboy, but liked to sing and dance with her friends
Adolescent Years
• 1932- Tempie died from car crash injuries
• Soon after, Joe died from a heart attack– Ella and Frances go to
live with their Aunt Virginia
• Sent to reform school– Life was unbearable– Suffered beatings from
teachers– Finally escaped at age
15, only to find herself broke and alone
First Performance
• 1934- Ella’s name is drawn out of a hat to perform at Amateur Night at the Apollo
• Was going to dance, but decided to sing at the last minute– Audience begged for
an encore by the end of her song, “Judy” by Hoagy Carmichael
Ella’s Career Beginning
• Began entering all the talent shows she could
• In 1935, Ella won the opportunity to perform at the Harlem Opera House with the Tiny Bradshaw band
• Chick Webb offered Ella the chance to perform with his band at a Yale University dance
• She was a hit & toured with Chick’s band for $12.50 a week
Ella’s Career
• Ella recorded “Love and Kisses” in 1936
• Performed in Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom regularly
• The era of big swing bands was changing, focus turned more towards bebop
Scat
• Ella sang a rendition of "(If You Can't Sing It) You Have to Swing It."
• Began experimenting with scat singing– Used her voice to
imitate different instruments
• Recorded version of “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” at 21, in 1938– Topped the charts at
number 1– Stayed on the charts
for 17 weeks– Sold 1 million copies
Love
• Ella married Ben Kornegay– Had marriage annulled
when she learned of his criminal history
• Toured with Dizzy Gillespie’s band in 1946– Fell in love with bassist
Ray Brown– Adopted a son-Ray Jr.
Coming into Her Own
• Ella joined the Philharmonic tour
• From 1956-1964, Recorded covers of other musician’s songs
• Also appeared on many television variety shows & became a favorite
Accomplishments
• In 1979, Ella was inducted into the Down Beat magazine Hall of Fame
• Received Kennedy Center Honors for her contributions to the arts
• She also won many Grammy Awards for her vocal performances
• President Ronald Reagan awarded Ella the National Medal of Arts in 1987
• She received the Commander of Arts and Letters award from France several years later
• Yale, Dartmouth and other universities gave Ella honorary doctorates
Ella’s Career Comes to a Close
• Ella underwent quintuple coronary bypass surgery in September of 1986
• She also had a valve in her heart replaced and was diagnosed with diabetes
• Everyone said she’d never sing again
• She proved them wrong
• Ella had recorded over 200 albums by 1990
• She gave her last performance at Carnegie Hall in 1991– It was her 26th
performance there
Ella’s Legacy
• On June 15, 1996, Ella died at her home in Beverly Hills
• She was buried in the "Sanctuary of the Bells" section of the Sunset Mission Mausoleum at Inglewood Park Cemetery
• Fans everywhere mourned her passing and signs of remembrance appeared right away