By: Mariah Hyde

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Ella Fitzgerald

• By Mariah Hyde

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Introduction

• Ella Fitzgerald was born April 25, 1917, in
  Newport News, Virginia,. She was famous for her
  jazz ,and swing singing and the young age she
  became a band leader. I choose my power point on
  Ella because I was interested in her singing and
  I had heard many stories about her from my
  grandparents.

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Childhood

• -Ella Fitzgerald was a baby girl born on April
  25th, 1917. She was born in Newport New,
  Virginia. She was an only child who lived with
  her mother, Tempie Fitzgerald, who's job was as a
  caterer.
• Young Ellas father died when she was only
  about 1 year old, she never really got to know,
  or bond with him. When she was less than a year
  she and her mother moved to Yorkers, new York.
  Her mother soon met a man and they moved in with
  him. Shortly after they got married. He was a
  ditch digger and also a chafer. Ella liked her
  step father but sadly the marriage didnt last.
• Even as a young child she had a heart for
  singing, she would sing and dance around her
  house just for fun. In 1932 the tragic death of
  her mother, Tempi, was caused by a heart attack,
  leaving her 15 year old daughter an orphan. She
  moved into an orphanage in Riverdale, NY shortly
  after the death.

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Adolescence

• -When she was about 17 she went to a chick web
  orchestra concert and went back stage to meet
  chick web. She made him watch her perform and he
  loved it! He decided to feature her In his
  orchestra. This was a great opportunity for her
  singing career.
• At the time , this was one of the liveliest
  swing bands in the country. Her first song she
  had recorded with chick web was called love and
  kisses When she was about 20 years old.
• Ella was about 13 she one a school talent
  show. she had her first hit record. This record
  was called A-Tisket, A-Tisket. After her moms
  death chick web and his wife decided to adopt her
  from the orphanage so she would be able to do
  things with the orchestra.

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Adulthood

• - When Ella was about 24 years old she married
  a man named Benny konegayin in 1941. Ben was not
  the guy for Ella because shortly after about 6
  months they got divorced. Ben was a drug dealer.
• In 1936 her new father, Chick Webb died. Even
  beyond the accident it helped Ella because she
  was now the new leader of the band. She was so
  upset when he died she was ready to quite. She
  didnt want to go on, but she did. The band
  manager, Moe gale, suggested that they changed
  the bands name to Ella Fitzgerald and her
  orchestra. Ella became the new band leader, she
  was also the youngest band leader in the country.
  She was barley twenty years old. She became the
  front person, only because she was most known.
  The band soon started to tour with famous music
  promoter, Norman Granz. After there tour on
  December 7th, 1941 the band broke up. After the
  break up she set out to find a solo career.
• About a year after the tour she went to see
  her new boyfriend, Ray brown and his orchestra.
  While she was there the audience recognized her
  and requested for her to go sing a song with the
  orchestra. After her song the orchestras
  promoter asked her to join in there tracle tour.
  In 1947 ray and Ella got married. They soon
  bought a house and they adopted a baby. They
  named the baby, Ray Brown JR. the baby was really
  Ella's half sisters who she put for adoption. In
  1952 the marriage faded and they got divorced.
• She kept singing and made many great hit
  records in her time. In 1996, June 15th, the
  swing singer died from her complications with
  diabetes.

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Timeline
Ella marries Ben, and annulled 6 months later.
First record Love and Kisses
Ella was born
Married ray brown.
1917
1941
1948
1935
1932
1939
1942
1996
Ella's mom dies of a heat attack and Ella is
sent to the colored orphanage in Riverdale NY.
Webb dies, Ella becomes the leader of the
orchestra
Searches for her solo carrier.
June, 15th, Ella dies of diabetes.
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Positive Contributions

• Ella did many good deeds in her life. She
  adopted a young infant. Who was named ray brown
  Jr. Most of her best awards came in her older
  days. In 1962 she got a Grammy award fir best
  jazz vocalist. This was one of her first Grammys
  and she was thrilled! Everyone said they knew it
  would be her that would win.
• She was also named the woman of the year in
  1982 by the people of Harvard university. She was
  a very proud woman for a long time. In 1987 Mrs.
  Ella Fitzgerald received the national medal of
  arts. She received this reward at the white house
  by the president, Ronald Regan.
• I'm sure she did many other good deeds in her
  life that we aren't sure about.

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Interesting Story
Ella did many interesting things in her life.
The thing that interested me the most was how her
new father died who she worked with but she had
the strength to keep going. He was the leader of
there band, and he was what pulled the band
together. She didnt want continue as part of the
band any more after the death but she did it
anyway. She was didnt just stay in the band but
she became the new band leader. She was put in
front center at every concert because she was
known best than all the other members. The band
came through for almost two years. It was very
impressing thinking she was only barley 21 years
old, she had a hard childhood, and the fact that
the most famous person in there band was gone. It
did eventually break up but not for a few years.
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Three questions?
1.) How did you feel growing up with out a
father, and knowing he was dead? 2.) When you
first moved in with Webb and his wife was it
awkward, thinking he was your boss and you work
with him? 3.) Was it hard to be in an orphanage
but still trying to practice your singing?
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Bibliography
The book I used was Ella Fitzgerald by Bud
Kilment Published in the Chelsea house publisher
senior consulting editor Nathan Irvin huggin