While most of the world is still buzzing about Sunday night’s star-studded Grammy Awards, we want to acknowledge the talented songstress who blazed a trail for all the women who took home those little gold-plated grammaphones at the ceremony.
Ella Fitzgerald was the first woman to win multiple Grammys. At the inaugural Grammy Awards in 1958, she snagged wins for Best Jazz Performance, Individual and Best Vocal Performance, Female. Rightly so, given the monikers by which she is known—First Lady of Song, Queen of Jazz and First Lady of Swing—Fitzgerald is celebrated for her pure tone, impeccable diction and scat singing style.
Born on April 25, 1917, Fitzgerald used her pitch-perfect voice to break barriers during a time when the music industry too often attempted to silence Black talent. The singer didn’t just survive those times; she crafted a career and a legacy that has outlived her. This was no easy task considering the road was even rockier for Black women.
The legendary singer holds the honor of many other firsts as well. She has the distinction of being the female artist with the most recordings (9) in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Her first recording to be inducted was A-Tisket, A-Tasket (with Chick Webb and his Orchestra) in 1986. She is also the first woman to receive what is now known as The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1967 for her outstanding contributions to the recording community.
Fitzgerald often used her celebrity to spread awareness about pay inequity and unequal conditions as a performer in segregated venues. She received the National Medal of Arts in 1987 and America’s highest non-military honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Ella Fitzgerald’s entire life is proof that there are multiple ways to use our voices. Ms. Fitzgerald, we thank you.
Psst: Did you know that Fitzgerald is the aunt of R&B singer, Christopher Williams?