The Music Institute of Chicago celebrates the 100th birthday of “The First Lady of Song”— Ella Fitzgerald.
Ella Fitzgerald (1917–96) first achieved musical success with the Chick Webb Orchestra, performing around the country and often at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. She launched a solo career in 1942, recording many of her best-known works on the Verve Records label. She appeared in films and as a guest on popular television programs, and she collaborated with Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and The Ink Spots, among others. Some of her most recognizable songs include “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” “Dream a Little Dream of Me,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” and other iconic songs. Her improvisational scat singing distinguished her from all her peers. She received 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
