Ella Fitzgerald American Singer (1917–1996)
Ella Fitzgerald · singer-songwriter and composer · American
8credits listed
322KYouTube, October 2025
Known for
Biography
Ella Fitzgerald was born on 25 April 1917 in Newport News. She was an American singer. The date of her death is 15 June 1996; She was 79. The recorded cause of death is stroke. She belonged to Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.
Career
Other members of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on record include Louis Armstrong. Her discography here counts 92 albums and 35 singles between 1940 and 2020. The earliest release on record is Walkin' by the River (1940), and the most recent is The Lost Berlin Tapes (2020). In genre terms, the records list jazz and swing. She played piano. The label on record is Capitol Records. She also had 5 screen credits on record, including American Masters (1986).
Recognition
Ella Fitzgerald’s wins include a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded in 1967. The list of wins also includes the Kennedy Center Honors (1979) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1992). Awards come to 11 wins in total.
Personal life
Marriages on record are to Ray Brown (1947 to 1953, divorced). She was the mother of Ray Brown, Jr.
Groups and bands
- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Discography
127 releases| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | The Lost Berlin Tapes | Album |
| 2009 | Twelve Nights in Hollywood | Album |
| 2007 | Ella Fitzgerald Live at Mister Kelly's | Album |
| 2007 | Gold | Album |
| 2003 | Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Vol. 1 | Album |
| 2002 | A Perfect Match | Album |
| 2001 | Sophisticated Lady | Album |
| 1999 | Ella in Budapest | Album |
| 1997 | The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve | Album |
| 1994 | The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books | Album |
| 1991 | Ella Returns to Berlin | Album |
| 1990 | Ella Fitzgerald 1935-1937 | Album |
| 1990 | Ella Fitzgerald 1937-1938 | Album |
| 1990 | Ella Fitzgerald 1938-1939 | Album |
| 1990 | Ella Fitzgerald 1939 | Album |
Show all 127 releases
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | All That Jazz | Album |
| 1988 | Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert | Album |
| 1986 | Easy Living | Album |
| 1984 | The Stockholm Concert | Album |
| 1983 | Nice Work If You Can Get It – Ella Fitzgerald & Andre Previn Do Gershwin | Album |
| 1983 | Speak Love | Album |
| 1982 | Ella à Nice | Album |
| 1982 | The Best Is Yet to Come | Album |
| 1981 | Ella Abraça Jobim – Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Antonio Carlos Jobim Songbook | Album |
| 1979 | A Classy Pair | Album |
| 1979 | Fine and Mellow | Album |
| 1978 | Dream Dancing | Album |
| 1978 | Lady Time | Album |
| 1977 | Montreux '77 (Tommy Flanagan album) | Album |
| 1976 | Ella and Oscar | Album |
| 1976 | Fitzgerald and Pass... Again | Album |
| 1975 | Montreux '75 | Album |
| 1973 | Newport Jazz Festival: Live at Carnegie Hall | Album |
| 1973 | Take Love Easy | Album |
| 1972 | Ella Loves Cole | Album |
| 1972 | Jazz at Santa Monica Civic '72 | Album |
| 1970 | Things Ain't What They Used to Be | Album |
| 1969 | Ella | Album |
| 1968 | 30 by Ella | Album |
| 1968 | Misty Blue | Album |
| 1967 | Brighten the Corner | Album |
| 1967 | Ella & Duke at the Cote D'Azur | Album |
| 1967 | Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas | Album |
| 1966 | Whisper Not | Album |
| 1965 | Ella at Duke's Place | Album |
| 1965 | Ringo Beat | Single |
| 1964 | Hello, Dolly! | Album |
| 1964 | Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook | Album |
| 1963 | Ella and Basie! | Album |
| 1963 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook | Album |
| 1963 | Ella Sings Broadway | Album |
| 1963 | These Are the Blues | Album |
| 1962 | Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson | Album |
| 1962 | Ella Swings Gently with Nelson | Album |
| 1962 | Rhythm Is My Business | Album |
| 1961 | Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! | Album |
| 1961 | Ella in Hollywood | Album |
| 1961 | Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook | Album |
| 1960 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings Songs from "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" | Album |
| 1960 | Ella in Berlin: Mack the Knife | Album |
| 1960 | Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas | Album |
| 1960 | Hello, Love | Album |
| 1959 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings Sweet Songs for Swingers | Album |
| 1959 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook | Album |
| 1959 | Get Happy! | Album |
| 1958 | At Newport | Album |
| 1958 | At the Opera House | Album |
| 1958 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook | Album |
| 1958 | Ella Swings Lightly | Album |
| 1958 | Porgy and Bess | Album |
| 1957 | Ella and Louis Again | Album |
| 1957 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book | Album |
| 1957 | Like Someone in Love | Album |
| 1956 | Ella and Louis | Album |
| 1956 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook | Album |
| 1956 | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook | Album |
| 1955 | For Sentimental Reasons… | Album |
| 1955 | Invite You to Listen and Relax | Album |
| 1955 | Lover, Come Back To Me / Old Devil Moon | Single |
| 1955 | Lullabies of Birdland | Album |
| 1955 | Moanin' Low / Taking a Chance on Love | Single |
| 1955 | Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues | Album |
| 1955 | Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues | Album |
| 1955 | Sweet and Hot | Album |
| 1954 | Baby / I Need | Single |
| 1954 | Ella – Songs in a Mellow Mood | Album |
| 1954 | I Wished on the Moon / Who's Afraid (Not I, Not I, Not I) | Single |
| 1954 | Lullaby of Birdland / Later | Single |
| 1954 | Melancholy Me | Single |
| 1953 | (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It – Part 1 / (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It – Concluded | Single |
| 1953 | Angel Eyes / Nowhere Guy | Single |
| 1952 | A Guy Is a Guy / That Old Feeling | Single |
| 1952 | Air Mail Special / Goody Goody | Single |
| 1952 | My Favorite Song / Walkin' by the River | Single |
| 1952 | Rough Ridin' / I Don't Want to Take a Chance | Single |
| 1951 | Baby Doll / Lady Bug | Single |
| 1951 | Because of Rain | Single |
| 1951 | Mixed Emotions / Come On-a My House | Single |
| 1951 | Smooth Sailing | Single |
| 1951 | Smooth Sailing / Love You Madly | Single |
| 1951 | The Chesapeake and Ohio / Because of Rain | Single |
| 1951 | There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby / Give a Little - Get a Little | Single |
| 1950 | Ella Sings Gershwin | Album |
| 1950 | I Hadn't Anyone Till You / Dream a Little Longer | Single |
| 1949 | Basin Street Blues / I'm Waitin' for the Junkman | Single |
| 1949 | Foolish Tears / A Man Wrote a Song | Single |
| 1949 | I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair / Happy Talk | Single |
| 1949 | Lover's Gold / Black Coffee | Single |
| 1949 | Sing the Song Hits from "South Pacific" | Album |
| 1948 | How High the Moon / You Turned the Tables on Me | Single |
| 1948 | It's Too Soon to Know / I Can't Go On | Single |
| 1947 | Guilty / Sentimental Journey | Single |
| 1947 | Oh, Lady Be Good! / Flying Home | Single |
| 1947 | That's My Desire / A Sunday Kind of Love | Single |
| 1947 | You're Breaking In a New Heart (While You're Breaking Mine) / Don't You Think I Ought to Know | Single |
| 1946 | (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons / It's a Pity to Say Goodnight | Single |
| 1945 | It's Only a Paper Moon / (I'm Gonna Hurry You Out of My Mind and) Cry You Out of My Heart | Single |
| 1944 | And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine / Confessin' (That I Love You) | Single |
| 1940 | Walkin' by the River | Single |
| Digital III at Montreux | Album | |
| Ella at Juan-Les-Pins | Album | |
| Ella in Hamburg | Album | |
| Ella in Japan: 'S Wonderful | Album | |
| Ella in London | Album | |
| Montreux '77 (Ella Fitzgerald album) | Album | |
| Pure Ella | Album | |
| Sunshine of Your Love | Album |
Awards and nominations
11 won, 0 nominated| Year | Award | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | National Women's Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 1992 | Presidential Medal of Freedom | Won | |
| 1985 | NEA Jazz Masters | Won | |
| 1982 | Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year | Won | |
| 1979 | Kennedy Center Honors | Won | |
| 1967 | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres | Won | ||
| honorary doctorate from Princeton University | Won | ||
| Los Angeles Times Women of the Year Silver Cup | Won | ||
| National Medal of Arts | Won | ||
| star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Won |
Filmography
8 credits| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things | Film | |
| 2012 | The music according to Antonio Carlos Jobim | Film | |
| 1986– | American Masters | TV series | |
| 1960 | Let No Man Write My Epitaph | Film | |
| 1958 | St. Louis Blues | Film | |
| 1955 | Pete Kelly's Blues | Film | |
| 1942 | Ride 'Em Cowboy | Film | |
| PopStory | TV series |
Ella Fitzgerald on Social Media
Counts with the date they were read
YouTube Ella Fitzgerald
322K
322,000 subscribers,
Ella Fitzgerald Photos
-
Photo: Alan Light · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: President (1981-1989 : Reagan). White House Photographic Office. 1981-1989 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Courtesy the Fraser MacPherson estate c/o Guy MacPherson · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Joost Evers / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: IISG · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Harry Pot / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: SAS Scandinavian Airlines · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: William Paul Gottlieb (28 Jan 1917 - 23 Apr 2006) · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: William P. Gottlieb · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Carl Van Vechten · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
How old was Ella Fitzgerald at the time of death?
Ella Fitzgerald died on 15 June 1996 at the age of 79. She was born on 25 April 1917.
What was Ella Fitzgerald’s cause of death?
According to Wikidata, Ella Fitzgerald died on 15 June 1996; the recorded cause of death is stroke.
What is Ella Fitzgerald known for?
Ella Fitzgerald was known as a former member of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong.
What is Ella Fitzgerald’s nationality?
Ella Fitzgerald was American, born in Newport News.
Who was Ella Fitzgerald married to?
Ella Fitzgerald’s marriages on record are to Ray Brown (1947 to 1953).
Has Ella Fitzgerald won any awards?
Yes. 11 awards are on record, including National Women's Hall of Fame (1995).
Sources
- Wikidata (Q1768), accessed October 2026
- Follower counts: dated individually above
- Photo: Carl Van Vechten · Public domain
Last checked by the Wiki of Celebs editorial team
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Related people
Louis Armstrong
Bandmate in Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
Aretha Franklin
Co-star in American Masters
Whitney Houston
Co-star in American Masters
Bing Crosby
Collaborated on Sing the Song Hits from "South Pacific"
James Brown
Co-star in American Masters
James Dean
Co-star in American Masters
Eitan Bernath
Also born on 25 April
Al Pacino
Also born on 25 April
Faith Hill
Fellow American singer
Keshi
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Flea
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