- Jun 27, 2003
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ELLA FITZGERALD
Buried seeds may grow but buried talents never.
Roger Babson
Ella Fitzgerald was born in 1918 in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents died when she was very young, and she eventually attended school in an orphanage in Yonkers, New York. Ella loved to sing and dance, and thought she was pretty good. At the age of fifteen, Ella decided to put her talent to the test and entered an amateur contest at Harlems Apollo Theater. At first, she wanted to enter both the singing and dancing contests, but she was too nervous to dance and decided that singing would have to be enough. That proved to be the case as jazz drummer Chick Webb heard Ella perform and hired her on the spot.
Ellas natural talent was polished during the time she spent as a vocalist with Webbs band. Together they wrote the hit song A Tisket A Tasket, based on the old nursery rhyme. Ellas melodious rendition of the song vaulted her to stardom. When Chick Webb died the following year, Ella took over the dance orchestra and became its soloist. Her initial hit recording was followed by many others, among them such classics as Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall and Hes My Guy. Ellas friendly demeanor and upbeat style won the hearts of millions, and she became known as Americas First Lady of Song. The little orphan who decided to take a chance has sold more than 25 million records and is recognized around the world not only for her distinctive musical style but as a product spokesperson.
CONSIDER THIS: Many people have talent but are too nervous or too self-conscious to let that talent come to the forefront. Talent in the hands of a master can be shaped into a gift for the entire world, if we will take the first step to use what we have.
Submitted by Richard
Buried seeds may grow but buried talents never.
Roger Babson
Ella Fitzgerald was born in 1918 in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents died when she was very young, and she eventually attended school in an orphanage in Yonkers, New York. Ella loved to sing and dance, and thought she was pretty good. At the age of fifteen, Ella decided to put her talent to the test and entered an amateur contest at Harlems Apollo Theater. At first, she wanted to enter both the singing and dancing contests, but she was too nervous to dance and decided that singing would have to be enough. That proved to be the case as jazz drummer Chick Webb heard Ella perform and hired her on the spot.
Ellas natural talent was polished during the time she spent as a vocalist with Webbs band. Together they wrote the hit song A Tisket A Tasket, based on the old nursery rhyme. Ellas melodious rendition of the song vaulted her to stardom. When Chick Webb died the following year, Ella took over the dance orchestra and became its soloist. Her initial hit recording was followed by many others, among them such classics as Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall and Hes My Guy. Ellas friendly demeanor and upbeat style won the hearts of millions, and she became known as Americas First Lady of Song. The little orphan who decided to take a chance has sold more than 25 million records and is recognized around the world not only for her distinctive musical style but as a product spokesperson.
CONSIDER THIS: Many people have talent but are too nervous or too self-conscious to let that talent come to the forefront. Talent in the hands of a master can be shaped into a gift for the entire world, if we will take the first step to use what we have.
Submitted by Richard
