Ella Fitzgerald, an icon of the music industry, has taken the styles of sprinting and bebop to new heights in jazz music with her unique talent. As a young African-American girl from Virginia growing up in a struggling family, she had a lively passion for jazz that would drive her to be as successful as the idols she praised. Fitzgerald's transcendent vocal career was influenced by his troubled childhood and inspired by his admiration for leading jazz singers in the music world. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, on April 25, 1917 to her mother Temperance and father William, who abandoned them soon after. She and her mother then moved to Yonkers, New York, to live with her significant other, Joseph Da Silva and soon gave birth to Fitzgerald's half-sister, Frances. Even though they did not live a destitute life, they still struggled financially. To support the family, her stepfather had to work two jobs and her mother worked long hours at a laundromat. Fitzgerald worked as a runner (someone who collects bets) for gamblers in his community as a way to contribute to his family's life. She and her family went to Bethany African Methodist Episcopal Church where they became familiar with formal musical arrangements. Fitzgerald listened to radio performances and recordings of "Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters, Louis Armstrong as they nurtured her gift for imitation" which led her further down the path of jazz. Through music she made many friends in her community, some who also shared her passion for dance. Her first dream was to become a dancer growing up in New York, “she was inspired by “Snake Hips” Tucker, studying his snake moves and constantly practicing them with friends.” They took the train to the Apollo Theater in Harlem to see numerous acts perform on stage and wished for the chance to perform. In later years, Fitzgerald's mother died following serious injuries sustained in a car accident, leading her to move in with her aunt mother, Fitzgerald hit rock bottom where her grades were poor and hope was gone This led her to act out and get into trouble with the law and she was eventually arrested During that era, when a child becomes disturbed is sent to a reformatory, which is where Fitzgerald ended up. faculty was very crowded and “overwhelmed as the Depression converged with the great migration of poor blacks from the rural South.” During her stay there she suffered frequent beatings from those responsible, she woke up with “bruises as black as night”. In 1932, at the age of 15, he escaped from reform school but fell into the world during the time of the Great Depression. Fitzgerald took to the streets and "tried to make it on her own while still nurturing her dream of performing." That part of her childhood gave her the strength and passion that allowed her to be a charming idol. And all his memories worked as a vital benefit to his presence on stage. During her youth she experienced abuse, hunger and homelessness, but this gave her further courage to "find her dream and make it happen". A year later, he finally got the chance to perform at the Harlem Apollo Theater, one of the first theaters to offer entertainment to black audiences, a key aspect in the Harlem Renaissance. After winning a competition, she went on stage with her original idea of ​​dancing but decidedat the last minute to sing and then captivated the audience with her pure voice. She often felt self-conscious about her appearance which would cause doubt in her performance, but on stage "Ella was surprised to find that it contained no fear, as if she were meant to be there" (Stone 49). During the era of big swing bands, there was a shift in music centered around sub-ebop. From then on, people were fascinated by her and her unique voice, so much so that in March 1935 she was offered the chance to sing for drummer/bandleader Chick Webb. However, at first the band said that it looked too worn and unattractive and that they wouldn't take it. But they gave her a chance, and three years later Fitzgerald reciprocated with a billboard song "A Tisket, A-Tasket," his version of a nursery rhyme. Fitzgerald embodied this new style, he used “his voice to take on the role of another horn in the band.” Impressed by her talent, arranger Benny Carter began introducing Fitzgerald to too many producers who could help her in her rise to stardom. When Fitzgerald entered the jazz industry, he also entered the Harlem Renaissance, known as the "New Negro Movement". It centered around Harlem, New York, after "there was an artistic and social wave that brought in great new soul minds." Famous artists such as Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie contributed their talents to the Harlem Renaissance and claimed that their art was "an expression of our individual dark-skinned selves." Singers Cole Porter and Duke Ellington adored Fitzgerald and “admired her for her talent for singing ballads and fast numbers without any practice.” The recognition she gained from Harlem's artists allowed her to grow and become as famous, or more, as they were. Celebrities like Tiny Bradshaw were amazed by her and gave her a chance to perform on their show. Fitzgerald took every opportunity he could and it was no different, now everyone knew who he was and his career took off flying. As Fitzgerald became established, she experimented with scat singing and "her improvisation and vocalization thrilled fans". Soon after Chick Webb's death in 1939, the group was renamed Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Band. And during the tour she met bassist Ray Brown and they eventually married and adopted their son Ray Jr. At the time Brown produced a tour called "Jazz at the Philharmonic", where famous jazz singers such as Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter performed. After the tour "singers and producers started asking to produce songs and albums with her" and Fitzgerald remained humble through it all. But this new found fame came with struggles against discrimination as he had extremely strong feelings about civil rights. Fitzgerald believed in the equality of all and despised discrimination of any kind. Numerous celebrities supported her, such as Marilyn Monroe. That helped Fitzgerald by praising her to the press saying "Ella is ahead of her time" while urging them to go see her sing at Mocambo, and she became the first African American to perform there. Fitzgerald also worked in a type of style known as Calypso, where the lyrics were half sung and spoken. In the swing dance era, most people like music with beats and rhythms like Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday, but Fitzgerald wanted to bring more than just music. On the scores Calypso and Scat seem like nonsense but she managed to “pour innocence and melodic sounds that translated into such beauty”. During her tour with Norman Granz in 1935, she sang her catchiest songs "Oh, Lady Be Good" and "How High the Moon." In those songs he used his sprinting skills and harmonic melody to, 2008.