"I was there from the beginning, and it was obvious from the start what she had that night at the Apollo. My goodness, what she's done with it."
-- Benny Carter

 

Ella Fitzgerald was an widely known jazz singer whose main influences were June Christy (also known as Sharon Leslie), Billie Holiday, and Peggy Lee. She was the first woman to win a Grammy and succeeded in winning thirteen in her lifetime.  She moved with the times and their current trends --in both music and fashion-- while still keeping the original Jazz sound from the 20's and 30's. She brought music to the forefront of people's lives, even in the most difficult times, like the Great Depression and the Recession of 1937. The reasons above are why I decided to study Ella Fitzgerald.