Ella Fitzgerald, “the Queen of Jazz”, would be turning 96 on April 25, 2013 and Google is commemorating her birthday with a new Google doodle. The drawing portrays her in full colour, singing her heart out on stage in the same way she is generally remembered by anyone who saw her displaying her abilities. With its doodle, Google is choosing to celebrate the life of the most beloved female jazz singer in the United States, who sang to its public for more than 50 years.
Owner of a flexible voice which allowed her to sing everything from jazz and bossa nova to opera, Ella Fitzgerald recorded over 200 albums to ascertain that she was here to stay, even after her death, in the heart and memory of her public.
The Queen of Jazz – Biography
Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. Few could anticipate what was going to become of her later in life. Ella used her difficult early days to fuel her feelings on stage and to keep her feet on the ground during better times, when success was at her doorstep. When she was singing, she owned every place she stepped on, even though she turned into a reserved and quiet person when she was off stage. No one could deny she was made to be on the spotlight.
Her way up to the top was achieved with the permanent support of the people. Since the beginning of her career, when she consistently won every talent show she could find and appeared in various television shows, she counted on a crowd of fans who were mesmerized as soon as she started singing.
Ella’s artistic life was full of achievements: she won 13 Grammy awards and recorded with figures like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. She was even awarded the national medal of arts in 1987, given to her by President Ronald Reagan himself; she regarded this award as the peak of her career.
Beyond the Artist
Apart from being a most wonderful singer and performer, Ella Fitzgerald helped society in many other ways. She did so indirectly, by becoming a figure against racism and discrimination. When touring, neither her nor her musicians tolerated any kind of unequal treatment at hotels, restaurants of concert halls, no matter where in the country they were performing. On a more direct way, Ella helped the younger generations through several donations to different organizations which took care of children in need, a fact which was not widely known at that time. Most importantly, Ella accompanied many citizens all over the world throughout their lives, helping them go on and enjoy life with every one of her songs.
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