Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz [Paperback]

Stuart Nicholson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 22, 1995

The life of the very private and media-shy Ella Fitzgerald has long been shrouded in a mixture of half-truths and fiction. What emerges in Stuart Nicholson's groundbreaking biography is a remarkable story of a poor black girl's determination to realize the American Dream in the face of racial and sexual prejudice. She succeeded, and is now the definition of "jazz singer" to millions, one of the greatest of all jazz musicians. In this fullest account ever of her life, Nicholson draws on fresh research and interviews with Ella's friends and colleagues. Supplemented by Phil Schaap's authoritative discography, Ella Fitzgerald is a rich and revealing portrait of one of the most popular American singers in history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ella Fitzgerald, who died in 1996, came from a poverty-stricken background. She was abandoned by her father, possibly abused by her stepfather and lived on the streets as a teenager. As a club singer she had to contend with racism, sexism and advances from predatory men. But in the 1950s, just when Billie Holiday, from a similar background, was falling toward drug addiction and a sordid death, Fitzgerald escaped the seeming inevitability of that fate. Her songbook albums relaunched her career in a new direction, and she became a beloved figure in American jazz, known for her musical precision and luminous clarity. This biography offers an assessment of the emotional strength apparent in both her life and music. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

For his exhaustive biography, Nicholson ( Jazz: The Modern Resurgence ) draws on written accounts of the legendary singer and on interviews with her childhood friends and musicians who have worked with her; he was unable to arrange to talk with Fitzgerald herself. The result is a thorough, dispassionate account of a career that began in 1935 when, at age 17, the singer first appeared in New York City's Apollo Theater and the Harlem Opera House. Nicholson shows how Fitzgerald was advanced by Milt Gabler at Decca and by promoter Norman Granz; he follows the grueling schedule to which she subjected herself and provides lucid analyses of her style and place in the history of jazz and 20th-century popular music. Although there are accounts here of her continuously unhappy love life, Fitzgerald's personality remains obscure, possibly a reflection of a performer to whom nothing other than singing seems to really matter. Discography by Phil Schaap. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806428
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806421
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,025,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An elusive look at an elusive life., October 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz (Paperback)

The book is loaded with facts about Ms. Fitzgerald's concert and recording careers, but gives almost nothing about her personal life.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, enlightening, thoroughly researched., April 3, 2000

By 

Artist (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz (Paperback)

I'd have given this book 4 1/2 stars given the option. The only reason I didn't give it 5 is that it gets somewhat dry towards the end, but I blame my attention span for some of that. It's full of fascinating stories, tidbits and opinions from musicians, producers, friends and agents who worked with Ella. You'll come away from the book with a new understanding of Ella the person and Ella the musician. You'll learn much about the times and the musicians who created the story of popular music and jazz in America. You'll also have a fascinating guide to her recorded music, the whys and the hows of it, the circumstances that made it wonderful or less than great. I recommend this book!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Bios, October 6, 2002

By 

Mr. William C. Rapp (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography Of The First Lady Of Jazz (Paperback)

This is the best of the Ella bios. Authoritative, well-written, and insightful with a helpful discography. Avoid the much inferior "First Lady of Song" by Fidelman. THIS is the bio to buy.