Ella Fitzgerald made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1947 and returned more than 40 times before her final performance in 1991. When asked if she wanted to let a pack of fans greet her backstage after a performance at the Hall, she replied, “Oh yes, you’d better let them back. Someday, they may not want to come.” The beloved “First Lady of Song” was self-conscious and shy, hyper-aware of the fleeting nature of fame and recognition. Yet she projected an enchanting stage presence, a singular voice combined with improvisational mastery, and a signature sense of style — including her eyewear, like the pair of glasses seen on Ella’s 1973 "Newport Jazz Festival: Live at Carnegie Hall" album cover, which are now housed in Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives.  

Guests featured in this episode include vocalist Samara Joy (2023 Grammy Award winner for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album) and Fran Rosman, executive director of the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation and archivist of the Ella Fitzgerald estate. Members of Carnegie Hall’s Rose Archives and Museum team, including director Kathleen Sabogal, assistant director Rob Hudson, and founding archivist Gino Francesconi, are also featured. 

If This Hall Could Talk is available wherever you get podcasts. New episodes are released every other week.