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Impact of the great depression on black people
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Impact of the great depression on black people
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Ella Scatted Her Way to the Top of the World
The early 1900's was a violent and horrible time to look back at. Americans have came a long way since then. America couldn't have gone through a more rough time. From racism and discrimination to the Great Depression. At the time African Americans were looked down upon by some people of different races. Hate crimes were common as well as discrimination in restaurants and other public places. A common quote from the time was “Separate but equal”, which was not at all true. There were many people that worked to end the racism and hate amongst some Americans. One of these many people that was able to change the way blacks were looked at by some was Ella Fitzgerald, the popular Jazz singer born in 1918. Ella was able to change the way blacks were treated and looked at by her beautiful voice and positive outlook on everything life had to offer her. From performing in places people of her time would never have imagined to getting an award from President Ronald Reagan himself, The Queen of Jazz did it all. Ella Fitzgerald changed the face of African American outlook through singing multiple genres, having fans of all races, and accomplishing many goals that blacks were never expected to accomplish.
One of the first ways she changed the outlook on African American music was by singing different genres. She brought life and soul to every song she even muttered. This all began when she was dared to do a contest around age 16. That's when everyone knew she was going far and the world was going to know her name. She was one of the first female Jazz singers (David Norman). She sang a numerous amount of genres, although she's mainly remembered for jazz. Fitzgerald also performed scat, pop,...
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...harts for seventeen weeks” (David Norman). That one album changed he life along with thousand or even millions of other peoples lives. As an old woman Fitzgerald said “I just want to smell the air, listen to the birds, and hear Alice laugh.” Ella Fitzgerald did much more than that. She left her footprints on Earth forever.
Woodard 5
Works Cited
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Contemporary Black Biography Vol. 18. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Print
David, Norman. The Ella Fitzgerald Companion. West port: Praeger, 2004. Web.
“Ella Fitzgerald.” The official site of the first lady of song. n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2014
Notable Black American Women. Detroit: Gale, 1992. Web
Pendergast, Sara and Tom. St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Detroit: St. James Press, 2000. Print
Ethel Waters overcame a very tough childhood to become one of the most well known African American entertainers of her time. Her story, The Eye on the Sparrow, goes into great detail about her life and how she evolved from taking care of addicts to becoming the star of her own show. Ethel was born by her mother being raped at a young age. Her father, John Waters, was a pianist who played no role in Ethel’s life. She was raised in poverty and it was rare for her to live in the same place for over a year. Ethel never fit in with the rest of the crowd; she was a big girl, about five nine when she was a teenager, and was exposed to mature things early in her life. This is what helped shape Ethel to be the strong, independent woman she is.
Ella was born in Newport News, Virginia on April 25, 1917. When alled “The First Lady of Song” by some fans. She was known for having beautiful tone, extended range, and great intonation, and famous for her improvisational scat singing. Ella sang during the her most famous song was “A-tiscket A-tasket”. Fitzgerald sang in the period of swing, ballads, and bebop; she made some great albums with other great jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. She influenced countless American popular singers of the post-swing period and also international performers such as the singer Miriam Makeba. She didn’t really write any of her own songs. Instead she sang songs by other people in a new and great way. The main exception
Lewis, Jone J. "Josephine Baker." About.com Women's History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .
Her influence is simply not a question; it is a salutation to a musical icon that has embedded her legacy into musical history. When I think of the word artist, I think of someone who is innovative, original and someone who has style and a sound all their own. One artist that comes to mind is Janet Jackson. They simply don’t make artists like Janet anymore. Unfortunately, she was the last of her kind.
Throughout the 19th and 20th century there were many African American civil rights leaders who have pushed our nation to where we are today. These leaders have been pastors, professors, and slaves such as Martin Luther King, W.E.B Dubois, Malcom X and many more. Although there are many important leaders in our nation, we have lacked the roles of strong black women in leadership positions such as presidents, governors and even owners and CEOs. Not only were black women mostly in the background during majority of past events including the Civil Rights movement but, all women are constantly looked down upon as leaders in society today. Among the few black women whose voices were heard throughout history, two of them are Sojourner Truth and Maria
According to Ruth Feldstein “Nina Simone recast black activism in the 1960’s.” Feldstein goes on to say that “Simone was known to have supported the struggle for black freedom in the United States much earlier, and in a more outspoken manner around the world than many other African American entertainers.” Her family ties to the south, her unique talent, her ability to travel and make money are similar to the Blues women movement that preceded her. It can be said that Nina Simone goes a step further the by directly attacking inequities pertaining to race and gender in her music. However, what distinguishes her is her unique musicianship and that is what ultimately garners her massive exposure and experiences over those of her past contemporaries.
Dorenkamp Angela G. Images of Women in American Popular Culture. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1985.
Aretha Franklin is a well known pop, R&B, and gospel singer. She has been nicknamed “The Queen of Soul” and is an internationally known artist and a symbol of pride in the African American community. Her popularity soared in 1967 when she released an album containing songs “I Never Loved a Man”, “Respect”, and “Baby I Love You.” Throughout her career she has achieved fifteen Grammy Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Legend Awards, and many Grammy Hall of Fame Awards. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose her as one of the most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century. She sang at Dr. Martin Luther King’s funeral and at former President Bill Clinton’s inaugural party. Although she has all these accomplishments and awards there are other reasons that have driven Franklin to fame and landed her on the front cover of Time magazine on June 28, 1968. The reasons I believe allowed Aretha Franklin to become so successful are the following: Her family’s involvement with religion, the inspiring people that surrounded her, and the pain she suffered.
Entitled "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most famous female jazz singer in the United States for about more than half a century. In her life time, she won more than 10 Grammy Awards, and also earned the title “The First Lady of Song.”Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, prefect and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, jazz, blue, and imitate every several instruments. She worked with all the jazz musicians, like Duke Ellington,Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and even Benny Goodman. She performed at top places all over the world. Her audiences were as diverse as her vocal rangeand they all loved her.
Give light and people will find the way, Said Ella Baker. She was a woman, who even in the darkest hour, gave light to people everywhere. Being a Civil Rights activist in the 1930’s, she was one of the leading figures in the Civil Rights Movement. She dedicated her life to fighting for freedom and equality, and she deserves to be recognized worldwide.
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday were both prominent jazz singer-songwriters during the same time and masters in their own right, but their worlds could not have been further apart. In 1939, while they were both in the midst of experiencing mainstream success, Ella was touring with Ella and her Famous Orchestra and showcasing her perfect pitch and tone to the world while singing songs that would soon become standards to fellow singers and musicians. Billie was singing solo, comfortable with her limited range, and gaining the adoration of audiences nationwide who loved her soulful voice. Both of these historic singers made contributions to the art of jazz, with vocalists and instrumentalists still using elements of their style today. Ella
Discrimination and slavery filled our nation in the mid 19th century. African Americans were discriminated and seen as “property,” not human beings. Harriet Tubman was a history maker. She rebelled against the slavery standards and
Epstein, Dan. 20th Century Pop Culture: The Early Years to 1949. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001. Print.
Known as the “Empress Of Blues”, Bessie Smith was said to have revolutionized the vocal end of Blues Music. She showed a lot of pride as an independent African-American woman. Her style in performance and lyrics often reflected her lifestyle. Bessie Smith was one of the first female jazz artists, and she paved the way for many musicians who followed.
Popular Culture. Ed. John Woodward, Farmington Hills, MI: Thompson Gale, 2005. 138-140.