Jazz is a musical genre that has existed for many years. Women in jazz have had a great impact on jazz and the music world in general. Some of the greatest female jazz composers include Mary Lou Williams, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. These women shaped the way jazz is performed and had a major influence on the history of jazz and its current sound. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay You can't talk about jazz without the "Queen of Jazz" herself. Formally known as Ella Fitzgerald, “she was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. He has won 13 Grammy Awards and sold 40 million albums." With a voice like his he should imitate every “orchestral instrument”. She performed at major venues and packed them. Everyone loved Fitzgerald, rich or poor, of all races, religions and nationalities. She went through a difficult childhood and dedicated herself to her dream of becoming an artist. Her dream came true when she appeared in an amateur competition at the Apollo Theater, for her there was no turning back. After his big debut, he soon met Chick Webb and joined his band. While performing with Webb's band, he also took part in performances and recordings with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Chick Webb died and Ella became the new leader of the band and renamed it "Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra". Fitzgerald's career took off in 1946 when he began working with Norman Granz, his future manager. During this period, while touring with Dizzy Gillespie and his band, he began to change his singing style to a new technique, scat singing, which is vocal improvisation with wordless voices. With her using scat singing in performances and recordings, this was her new signature technique. “At the very first Grammy Awards in 1958, Fitzgerald won her first two Grammys – and made history as the first African-American woman to win the award – for Best Individual Jazz Performance and Best Female Vocal Performance.” Ella Fitzgerald entered the pop charts with her song "Mack the Knife." He was still going strong in the 1970s and performing concerts all over the world. In the 1980s, Fitzgerald suffered from diabetes. His closing recording dates back to 1989 and his last public performance was in 1991 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Many viewers "complained that his style and voice lacked depth." However, many musicians spoke highly of Ella Fitzgerald saying she was "the greatest of them all". Ella Fitzgerald has done more than reach her full potential, she has reached standards that not many musicians can say they have achieved. Considering that he had a difficult childhood losing many people he cared about, he showed courage and preserved those difficult moments and made something great out of them. Fitzgerald is an inspiration to many, even though he had a hard time starting out in the spotlight before the eyes of many, he took the opportunity and ran with it. Without her, who knows if an African American woman in jazz or the music industry would receive a Grammy Award. Ella Fitzgerald will always be remembered as a great singer and not only ranked in jazz and jazz women, but in the music industry as a whole. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The great women of jazz not only paved the way for today's musicians, but they inspired people through their music and performances. One of these, Ella Fitzgerald, inspired.