In honor of the birthday of the great jazz queen Ella, we picked up some of her wonderful quotes about life and music.
A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside… I’m going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.
I’m very shy, and I shy away from people. But the moment I hit the stage, it’s a different feeling I get nerve from somewhere; maybe it’s because it’s something I love to do.
You never know how a room feels, what a crowd is going to react to. You have to find out when you’re standing out there singing the first time.
Music is the universal language … it brings people closer together.
Now we’re not afraid when storm clouds gather ‘Cause we got the kind of love that’ll see us through.
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.
It isn’t where you came frome; it’s where you’re going that counts.
Eventually, I realized that I would not have a life until I buckled down. Once I did, I auditioned for Juilliard – and that changed everything.
Ella Fitzgerald has never sung at the White House. “But I did go to President Kennedy’s inauguration. He shook my hand. I’ll never forget it. It was a beautiful, strong hand. I’ll never forget his brother, Bobby. He always sent me orchids when he couldn’t get to my club dates.” They had a shared interest in children, she said. “That’s where the love starts, with children."
I’ve had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn’t work out. I don’t want to dwell on that and I don’t want to put people down, but I think all the fabulous places I’ve been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I’ve met–that ought to make a story.
I know I’m no glamour girl, and it’s not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people. It used to bother me a lot, but now I’ve got it figured out that God gave me this talent to use, so I just stand there and sing.
Once, when we were playing at the Apollo, 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.
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.
I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.
