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Humble but happy beginnings
Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born in Newport
News, Virginia on April 25, 1917. Her father, William,
and mother, Temperance (Tempie), parted ways shortly
afterward. Tempie and Ella went to Yonkers, New York,
where they
eventually moved in with Tempie's longtime boyfriend
Joseph Da Silva. Ella's half-sister, Frances, was born
in 1923,
and soon she began referring to Joe as her stepfather.
To support the family, Joe dug ditches and was a part-time
chauffeur, while Tempie worked at a laundry mat and did
some catering. Occasionally, Ella took on small jobs to
contribute money as well. Perhaps naïve to the circumstances,
Ella worked as a runner for local gamblers, picking up
their bets and dropping off money.
Their apartment was in a mixed neighborhood, where Ella
made friends easily. She considered herself more of a
tomboy, and often joined in the neighborhood games of
baseball. Sports aside, she enjoyed dancing and singing
with her friends, and some evenings they would take the
train into Harlem and watch various acts at the Apollo
Theater.
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