Ella Fitzgerald (1917–1996) was an iconic American jazz singer often referred to as the “First Lady of Song” and the “Queen of Jazz.” Born in Virginia, Fitzgerald’s career spanned over six decades, during which she became one of the most celebrated and influential vocalists in music history. Renowned for her pure tone, impeccable phrasing, and remarkable vocal range, Fitzgerald was known for her ability to effortlessly interpret jazz standards, swing tunes, and popular songs with unparalleled grace and sophistication. Her collaborations with jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong produced timeless recordings that have become classics. Fitzgerald’s talent earned her numerous awards, including 13 Grammy Awards. Beyond her musical achievements, she broke racial barriers in the entertainment industry, becoming one of the first African-American women to achieve mainstream success. Her legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans worldwide, cementing her as one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

Ella Fitzgerald Quotes

1. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

2. “It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

3. “The only thing better than singing is more singing.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

4. “Music is the universal language ..it brings people closer together.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

5. “Everybody wants to know about my style and how it came about. It’s no big secret. It’s the way I feel.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

6. “I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt … 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.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

7. “What everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

8. “Blue skies, smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

9. “Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

10. “I used to be very self-conscious. I used to wish I was pretty.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

11. “I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

12. “I’m very shy, and I shy away from people.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

13. “The fabulous places I’ve been, wonderful things that’ve happened, great people I’ve met ought to make a story.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

14. “I don’t want to say the wrong thing, which I always do.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

15. “I know I’m no glamour girl, and it’s not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

16. “I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

17. “Listen to her voice, don’t look at her.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

18. “You take romance – I’ll take Jell-O.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

19. “When I’m on stage I feel at home.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

20. “A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

21. “Some kids in Italy call me ‘Mama Jazz’; I thought that was so cute.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

22. “I’ve had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn’t work out.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

23. “Nobody else even approaches the trumpet like [Sweets Edison] does.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

24. “Coming through the years, and finding that I not only have just the fans of my day, but the young ones of today – that’s what it means, it means it was worth all of it.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

25. “I think I do better when I sing.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

26. “Ella knows her way around her voice as very few people today do. But there are times when she seems to be unaware there are things the human voice just doesn’t do. She does them.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

27. “Every time I look down on this timeless town, whether blue or gray be her skies, whether loud be her cheers, or whether soft be her tears, more and more do I realize that…I love Paris.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

28. “Once, when we were playing at the Apollo Theater, Holiday was working a block away at the Harlem Opera House. Some of us went over between shows to catch her, and afterwards we went backstage. I did something then, and I still don’t know if it was the right thing to do—I asked her for her autograph.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

29. “All I did was sing ‘How High the Moon.’ It seemed like the only song I ever sang.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

30. “She is amazingly creative, bringing so much more to a song than just a singer. She is a first-class musician and the most gracious person in the world.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

31. “She has been more famous, over a longer time span, than any other female singer.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

32. “Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

33. “When we were at the Apollo, Holiday was a block away. I asked her for her autograph.”
— Ella Fitzgerald

34. “Sometimes when we’re flying or in the hotel, I might run over songs, or in the bathroom.”
— Ella Fitzgerald