|
|
| |
|
Coming into her own
On June 16, 1939, Ella mourned the
loss of her mentor Chick Webb. In his absence the band
was renamed "Ella Fitzgerald and her Famous Band,"
and she took on the overwhelming task of bandleader.
Perhaps in search of stability and protection,
Ella married Benny Kornegay, a local dockworker who
had been pursuing her. Upon learning that Kornegay had
a criminal history, Ella realized that the relationship
was a mistake and had the marriage annulled.
While on tour with Dizzy Gillespie's band
in 1946, Ella fell in love with bassist Ray Brown. The
two were married and eventually adopted a son, who they
named Ray, Jr.
At the time Ray was working for producer
and manager Norman Granz in "Jazz at the Philharmonic"
tour. Norman saw that Ella had what it took to be an
international star, and he convinced Ella to sign with
him. It was the beginning of a lifelong business relationship
and friendship.
Under Norman's management, Ella joined the Philharmonic
tour, worked with Louis Armstrong on several albums and
began producing her infamous songbook series. From 1956-1964,
she recorded covers of other musicians' albums, including
those by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, the Gershwins, Johnny
Mercer, Irving Berlin, and Rodgers and Hart. The series
was wildly popular, both with Ella's fans and the artists
she covered. "I never knew how good our songs were
until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them," Ira Gershwin
once remarked.
Ella also began appearing on television
variety shows. She quickly became a favorite and frequent
guest on numerous programs, including The Bing Crosby
Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Frank Sinatra Show,
The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, The Nat King
Cole Show, The Andy Willams Show and The Dean Martin
Show.
Due to a busy touring schedule, Ella and
Ray were often away from home, straining the bond with
their son. Ultimately, Ray Jr. and Ella reconnected
and mended their relationship. "All I can say is
that she gave to me as much as she could," Ray,
Jr. later said, "and she loved me as much as she
could."
Unfortunately, busy work schedules also
hurt Ray and Ella's marriage. The two divorced in 1952,
but remained good friends for the rest of their lives.
<<
Previous page | Main page
| Next page >>
|
|
|
|
|
|
