Tragic Things About Ella Fitzgerald

Legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald gained a devout audience for over six decades, earning the nickname "The First Lady of Song." But her troubled past isn't usually mentioned in tributes and remembrances of her career. This is the tragic real-life story of Ella Fitzgerald.

Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, on April 25, 1917, to her mother, Temperance Fitzgerald. Her father left the picture when Ella was two and a half. Temperance struggled to make ends meet and moved north to Yonkers, New York, with her daughter and new boyfriend, Joseph. There, young Ella thrived in school, taking an interest in the church choir and dance and falling in love with the jazz records her mother brought home.

She learned to imitate her favorite singers and would take trips to the city to check out the latest steps at dance halls.

That determined young girl would be waylaid by grief. In 1932, Temperance died in a car accident, leaving 15-year-old Fitzgerald an orphan during the height of the Great Depression. After Temperance's passing, young Ella's stepfather allegedly mistreated her. By 1933, she'd fled to her aunt's in Harlem to escape. However, according to NPR, Ella's aunt struggled to support her.

Watch the video to learn more of the tragic things about Ella Fitzgerald.

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Tragic beginnings | 0:00
Homeless as a teenager | 1:10
Paroled to a big band | 2:11
Harshly judged | 3:23
The USO's hypocrisy | 4:33
An advocate emerges | 5:37
Boost from Marilyn Monroe | 6:45
Failed marriages | 7:46
Fame during segregation | 9:12
Incredibly shy | 10:33
Progressive illnesses | 11:45
Lost legacy | 12:54

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