Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe - an example of women helping women

[redqueen]

“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.” - Ella Fitzgerald




on edit: Found a fuller quote. h/t to http://www.womanofcolour.com/2011/02/unlikely-sisterhood-marilyn-monrow-ella.html

[demosincebirth]

1. Best female vocalist of all time!

[niyad]

4. I had the good fortune to attend one of the last concerts she did. even with her poor health,

it was a magnificent evening of music.

[demosincebirth]

5. I remember seeing her and Mel Torme, on some tv show years ago, singing together and doing almost

three minutes of Scat to the tune of "The lady is a tramp." Man, was it great.

[niyad]

6. I remember that! went looking for it just now, couldn't find it, but found this

(a few seconds of ella and mel in "lady be good&quot

[demosincebirth]

14. Fantastic!

[niyad]

7. just mel

[niyad]

8. ella

[demosincebirth]

13. Love that Big Band sound, too. Nothing compares to it.

[niyad]

15. agreed!

[redqueen]

17. I love it too.

[niyad]

16. if this is working correctly, it is a youtube mix of 50 of her videos. listening now.

&list=RD02TQkIccS-W4U

[DURHAM D]

9. Oh my...

I can not even imagine. Lucky you.

[ismnotwasm]

18. You got to see Ella?

Wow! That is awesome.

[carolinayellowdog]

11. so far, anyway-- we're not to the end of time yet, I hope

but Ella would be hard to match in any century. I grew up in the Hampton Roads area, where she was born, and she came back every summer to a jazz festival in Hampton. One of my great regrets is that I never heard her live-- "someday I need to go hear her" but as a teenager I didn't grasp that she wouldn't last forever.

Back in the 80s Newport News named a branch library after Pearl Bailey, who refused to attend the opening. At the time I thought "why didn't they name it after Ella? she's much greater" but now finally she has been honored by Newport News with a theatre in the cultural arts center.

Another person who was very supportive of Ella for many years was Sinatra. Many TV duo gigs now viewable on Youtube, terrific performances, were due to Frank insisting that Ella appear with him. Despite his many flaws, he did a lot to encourage the careers of people he admired.

[niyad]

12. thank you for all that. and thank you for reminding me that frankie wasn't always the jerk I knew.

[demosincebirth]

19. Never, ever. Not with the way music has evolved... that's If you want to call it music.

God's gift to humanity...Ella.

[niyad]

2. k and r--thank you for this lovely piece. women helping women--such a simple idea, isn't it?

[redqueen]

3. Yes it is.

[DURHAM D]

10. I second that