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The singer Ella Fitzgerald, b. Newport News,
Va., Apr. 25, 1918, is second only to Billie Holiday in her
popularity and in the influence she has had over several generations
of pop-music singers. Her career began (1934-39) with Chick
Webb's band, which she led for a year after his death. After
recording (1938) "A-tisket, A-tasket," she had countless
hits, sang with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and other major
bands, and appeared as a soloist with more than 40 symphony
orchestras. A great scat singer and ballad interpreter, she
consistently lifted often trivial material to the level of
high jazz art.
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