Rapp on Jazz: Ella Fitzgerald

Published May 12, 2025 at 6:22 AM EDT

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 1968 file photo, American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald swings her necklace as she arrives at the Carlton Theatre in London, England. The National Portrait Gallery is putting up a photograph of Fitzgerald, often referred to as "The First Lady of Song." The portrait is on view beginning Thursday, April 13, 2017, ahead of the 100th anniversary of Fitzgerald's birth. Fitzgerald, who died in 1996 at the age of 79, would have celebrated her 100th birthday April 25. (AP Photo/Bob Dear, File)

TRANSCRIPT:

Hi, I am Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.

Ella Fitzgerald, affectionately known as the "First Lady of Song" and the "Queen of Jazz," captivated audiences with her extraordinary vocal range, mesmerizing improvisational talents, and remarkable versatility.

Despite a tough childhood, Ella found musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, earning national recognition with her version of "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." After Webb’s passing, she took the band's helm but soon left to pursue a solo career. She is considered one of the greatest scat singers, as demonstrated in standards like "How High the Moon."

Ella left this world in 1996 at 79, but her legacy endures. She remains a symbol of joy, passion, and musical brilliance with 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom to her name.

This has been Rapp On Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible in part by Layman Poupard Publishers, producers of the Literary Criticism Series and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.