Ella ‘Queen of Jazz’ Fitzgerald honoured in today’s Google Doodle

Ella Fitzgerald, the jazz singer who has more than 200 albums to her name, won 13 Grammy awards and recorded with some of the biggest jazz luminaries of her time, would have turned 96 today. And today’s Google Doodle commemorates her birthday.

The doodle depicts a dressed-up Fitzgerald on stage with the band in the background. The stage backdrop spells out Google, with the doodle going for a jazz-era art vibe. Fittingly, the spotlight on stage is on the singer, who went by many sobriquets such as “The First Lady of Song” and “The Queen of Jazz”.

Today’s Google Doodle for Ella Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald’s career spanned nearly six decades and her astounding vocal range and pitch earned her great fame. She has a wide repertoire, which includes genres such as classical jazz, popular show tunes, bossa nova and opera. During her long career, Fitzgerald recorded with some of the best names in the world of jazz, including greats like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong.

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With more than 200 records, sales of which have gone over 40 million, and 13 Grammys, Fitzgerald is known most for her Songbook series, which celebrates artistes such as Ellington and Cole Porter.

Her rise to fame was spurred by regular guest appearances on several major US TV shows, including the Bing Crosby Show, the Frank Sinatra Show, the Ed Sullivan Show, the Tonight Show, the Nat King Cole Show and the Dean Martin Show. Her fame also brought her the US national medal of arts, which was given to her in 1987 by then US President Ronald Reagan.

Fitzgerald gave her final performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall in 1991 before health problems took their toll on her; she passed away in 1996 at the age of 79.