First Lady of the Swing Era

Although raised in the City of Gracious Living, Ella Fitzgerald had no idea of how gracious and ebullient her life would truly become. As an orphaned teenager, Fitzgerald sought out the Mona Lisa to her da Vinci during the Great Depression: jazz. Young, meek, impressionable was her demeanor, yet the spotlight of the Swing Era molded her into the bold and confident woman she was meant to be. Soon after performing at Harlem Opera House, she met her lifelong mentor and friend: Chick Webb. Her nursery rhyme cover of “A-Tisket A-Tasket” became a hit song.  Ella’s mentor was proficient with the drums and was the lead member of the Tiny Bradshaw Band, which was soon to become Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Band after his death in 1939.