Coming from a troubled childhood, Ella Fitzgerald found solace in music and song. Discovered at age 17, after singing in the style of the Boswell sisters in a talent competition, she would become the top female jazz singer for 50 years. Her distinctive vocals and her ability to personally hear and feel the emotion in her songs, would lead her to be an inspiration for female vocalists such as Aretha Franklin, Vannesa Williams, and Janis Ian. Though critics complained that her voice lacked the depth and blues of other singers, it was that voice and her style that set her apart from other female vocalists of her time. Join us for this segment of Liner Notes where we’ll be discussing the impact of Ella Fitzgerald’s life and music.

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