by Katelyn Bidondo
Happy Birthday, Ella!
Today, April 25, 2013, the “First Lady of Song”, Ella Fitzgerald would have turned 96. Not only did this talented lady touch the lives of many with her incredible voice, but she was an amazing civil rights advocate as well. She began her civil rights ventures by demanding equal pay for herself and other artists of color, which was truly courageous during that time since women, especially women of color, were being treated as second class citizens. But she didn’t do this alone. Her manager Norman Granz was constantly fighting for his artists to get equal treatment. Along with Norman, Ella had some help from longtime friend Marilyn Monroe.
Ella had this to say of the help she had gotten from Monroe,
“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…It was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him – and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status – that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman – a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.” (quote from ellafitzgerald.com)
Needless to say Ella was loved by many. During her lifetime she received many awards and recognition for all that she was doing. Ella was the first woman to win the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award from the Los Angeles branch of the Urban League. This award is given to those who build bridges generationally and amongst races. Both her voice and civil rights ventures gained Ella a popularity that spanned through races, ages and sexes. So, even though she isn’t with us today we say, thank you, Ella, and wish her the happiest of birthdays.