Vintage Photos of a Young Ella Fitzgerald in the 1940s

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, absolute pitch, and a “horn-like” improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.

During the 1940s, Ella became known for her brilliant improvisational scat singing, especially in songs like “Flying Home” (1945). She collaborated with legends like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Jordan, and embraced bebop influences. She was in her 20s during this decade and had already made a significant mark on the music world.

Take a look back at the Queen of Jazz when she was young during the 1940s through 16 stunning vintage photographs:

1940s. (Bettmann)

1940. (Gilles Petard)

1940. (Gilles Petard)

1940. (Carl Van Vechten)

1940s. (Gilles Petard)

1945. (Anthony Bruno)

1945. (Anthony Bruno)

1946. (NBCU)

1946. (Eliot Elisofon)

1947. (William Gottlieb)

1947. (Metronome)

1948. (William Gottlieb)

1948. (Keystone)

1948. (PA Images)

1948. (Michael Ochs)

1949. (Martha Holmes)