A landmark biography that reclaims Ella Fitzgerald as a major American artist and modernist innovator. A landmark biography that reclaims Ella Fitzgerald as a major American artist and modernist innovator. Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) possessed one of the twentieth century's most astonishing voices. In this first major biography since Fitzgerald's death, historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional...

"1952: Ella Fitzgerald is a renowned jazz singer whose only roadblock to longevity is society's attitude toward women and race. Marilyn Monroe's star is rising despite ongoing battles with movie studio bigwigs and boyfriends. When she needs help with her singing, she wants only the best-and the best is the brilliant Ella Fitzgerald. But Ella isn't a singing teacher and declines-then the two women meet, and to everyone's surprise but their own, they...