As the effects from her diabetes worsened, 76-year-old Ella experienced severe circulatory problems and was forced to have both of her legs amputated below the knees. Chicago- Angelucci, Ashley. [9] In 1985, Fitzgerald was hospitalized briefly for respiratory problems,[59] in 1986 for congestive heart failure,[60] and in 1990 for exhaustion. I just want to smell the air, listen to the birds and hear Alice laugh, she said. After taking over the band when Webb died, Fitzgerald left it behind in 1942 to start her solo career. Perhaps her most unusual and intriguing performance was of the "Three Little Maids" song from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic operetta The Mikado alongside Joan Sutherland and Dinah Shore on Shore's weekly variety series in 1963. After getting into trouble with the police, she was taken into custody and sent to a reform school. The story of a leader in social, environmental, and political activism and first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. [69] The Jazz at the Philharmonic tour would specifically target segregated venues. Ella Fitzgerald | Biography, Music, & Facts | Britannica Her accompanist Tommy Flanagan affectionately remembered Fitzgerald on his album Lady be Good For Ella (1994). In 1932, Ella's mother died of injuries suffered in a car accident. "[54] Her last commercial campaign was for American Express, in which she was photographed by Annie Leibovitz. Throughout her career, Ella would master scat singing, turning it into a form of art. [89], In 2019, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things, a documentary by Leslie Woodhead, was released in the UK. Fitzgerald and Pass appeared together on the albums, Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington recorded two live albums and two studio albums. Occupation Singer Family Father - William Fitzgerald Mother - Temperance "Tempie" (Williams) Others - Frances da Silva (Half-Sister) Manager Moe Gale and Norman Granz served as Ella Fitzgerald's managers. Meet Jazz Musician Ray Brown Jr - Legend Ella Fitzgerald's Only Son Who Paganini)". [3] Her half-sister, Frances da Silva, whom she stayed close to for all of her life, was born in 1923. Impressed with her natural talent, he began introducing Ella to people who could help launch her career. Trumpet player Mario Bauz, who played behind Fitzgerald in her early years with Chick Webb, remembered that "she didn't hang out much. Ella Fitzgerald siblings: Meet Frances Da Silva Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. It featured artists such as Michael Bubl, Natalie Cole, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Diana Krall, k.d. She recorded several albums with piano accompaniment, but a guitar proved the perfect melodic foil for her.