No woman in the history of jazz has achieved the international acclaim of Ella Fitzgerald. "The First Lady of Jazz" won thirteen Grammies during her career, spanning over fifty years. Now, for the first time since her death in 1996, fascinating interviews, articles, and reviews bring Ella Fitzgerald to life - from orphan to icon. Learn how the shy and complex singer whose voice "has peach fuzz on it" was discovered in Harlem and rose to be the highest-paid jazz singer in the world.

The book includes contributions from Earl Wilson, Nina Bernstein, Ralph Cooper with Steve Dougherty, Marion Bussang, Malcolm Johnson, Mark Murphy, Ted Yates, Betsy Luce, Carter Harman, Stanley Dance, Bill Coss, Nat Hentoff, Dom Cerulli, Bob Bach, Leonard Feather, Dic Doyle, John Edward Hasse, John Tynan, Irving Kolodin, Bob Freedman, Ralph Gleason, Douglas Watt, Lee Jeske, Francis Davis, Will Friedwald, Leslie Gourse, Frank Kennedy, Henry Pleasants, Ernest Dunbar, John S. Wilson, Angela Taylor, Len Lyons, Gary Giddins, Joel E Siegel, Leslie Gourse, Ted Fox, Stephen Holden, Chip Deffaa, John Rockwell, Floyd Levin, Margo Jefferson.

CONTENTS:
Part One: Spring is Here - Early Years
Part Two: How High the Moon - On Her Own, Recording with Decca 1939-55
Part Three: Everything I've Got - Norman Granz and the Songbooks 1955-65
Part Four: How Long Has This Been Going On? - Living Icon 1966-80
Part Five: Evening Star - Last Years

back to previous page