美国名人 艾拉·费兹杰拉.docx

美国名人艾拉费兹杰拉EllaFitzgeraldplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-14:46repeatByNancySteinbach2004-3-6(THEME)ANNCR:NowztheVOASpecialEnglishprogram,PeopleinAmerica.Today,ShirleyGriffithandSteveEmbertellaboutthejazzsingerzEllaFitzgerald.ShewasknownasAmerica'sfirstladyofsong.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:Theyearwasnineteen-thirty-three.TheplacewasNewYorkCity.EllaFitzgeraldwassixteenyearsold.ShehadenteredacompetitionattheApollotheaterinHarlem.Shewasgoingtodance.Butshehadjustwatchedtwodancersperform.Theywerebetterdancersthanshe.Sozinsteadofdancing,shesangasongcalled"Judy."Peoplewatchingthecompetitionurgedhertosinganothersong.Shedid.Shewonfirstprize-twenty-fivedollars.ThatcompetitionattheApolloTheaterchangedEllaFitzgerald'slifeforever.BandleaderChickWebbwaswatchingthecompetition.HehiredEllatosingwithhisband.Hetaughtheraboutsinginginpublic.Heevenshowedherwhatkindofclothestowear.Inthreeyears,shehadherfirsthitrecord,"A-Tisket-a-Tasket":(MUSIC)VOICETWO:EllaFitzgeraldwasborninthesoutherncityofNewportNews,Virginiainnineteen-seventeen.Herfatherleftsoonafterherbirth.HermothertookEllaandmovedtoNewYorkCity.Ella'smotherdiedwhenEllawasfifteenyearsold.Thenextyear,EllastartedsingingwithChickWebb'sband.ShestayedwithChickWebbuntilhediedinnineteen-thirty-nine.EllakepthisbandtogetherafterhedieduntilWorldWarTwostarted.Thenmostofthebandmembersjoinedthearmedforces.WhileshewaswiththebandzEllarecordedalmostone-hundred-fiftysongs.VOICEONE:EllaFitzgeraldwasgreatlyinfluencedbytheexperimentalmusicofCharlieParkerandDizzyGillespie.Itwascalledbe-bop.Sheusedbe-boprhythmsinhersinging.Innineteen-forty-fivezsherecordedthesong"FlyingHome,"usingthebe-bopmethodknownas'scat'.Inscat,thesinger'svoicesoundslikeanotherinstrumentintheorchestra.Criticssayitwasthemostinfluentialjazzrecordofthetime.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Innineteen-forty-ninezjazzmusicianNormanGranzinvitedhertojoinhisband.ItwaswithhisbandinBerlin,Germanyinnineteen-sixtythatEllasangafamoussonginaverydifferentway.Amanaskedherifsheknewthesong"MacktheKnife."Ellasaidshehadhearditafewtimesbutthebanddidnothavethemusicforit.Shesaidshewouldtrytosingitanyway.Thisrecordingshowshowshecontinuedtosing"MacktheKnife"whenshedidnotrememberthewords.Thepeoplelisteninglovedit.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:NormanGranzlaterbecamehermanager.Hestartedanewrecordingcompanyjustforher.ItwashisideaforEllatorecordthenowfamousseriesofrecordalbumscalledthe"Songbooks".Oneachrecord,shesangworksofadifferentsongwriter.SherecordedsongbooksofthemusicofColePorter,IrvingBerlin,DukeEllington,JeromeKern,JohnnyMercerandHaroldArlen.CriticssaythebestsongbookisEllasingingthesongsofGeorgeandIraGershwin.IraGershwinreportedlysaid:"IneverknewhowgoodoursongswereuntilIheardEllaFitzgeraldsingthem.Here,shesingstheGershwinsong,"IGotRhythm":(MUSIC)VOICETWO:EllaFitzgeraldalsoappearedinmoviesandontelevision.Shebecamepopularinternationally.Sheperformedinconcertsaroundtheworldsometimesfortyweeksayear.Shealsorecordedfordifferentrecordcompanies.Inthenineteen-sixties,shebegantosingmoremodernsongssuchasthosewrittenbytheBeatlesandBurtBacharach.Butshewasnotverysuccessfulwiththatkindofpopularmusic.Shereturnedtojazzinnineteen-seventy-threezagainwithNormanGranz.Shealsobeganperformingwithsymphonyorchestras.VOICEONE:EllaFitzgeraldwasmarriedtwotimes.Bothmarriagesendedindivorce.Sheraisedthreechildrenwhowerenotherown.EllalivedquietlyinBeverlyHills,California.Throughoutherlifeshewasaveryprivateperson.Shewantedtobeknownonlyforhermusic.HerfriendsincludedmembersoftheDukeEllingtonband,CountBasie'sband,andsingerslikeSarahVaughnandPeggyLee.EllaFitzgeraldbegantohavehealthproblemsduringthenineteen-seventies.Shehadthediseasediabeteswhichcausedproblemswithhereyes.Shehadaheartoperationinnineteen-eighty-si×.Innineteen-ninetythree,theeffectsofdiabetesledtooperationstoremovebothherlegs.ShediedJunefifteenth,nineteen-ninety-six.VOICETWO:PeoplearoundtheworldlovedEllaFitzgerald'sjoyfulsinging.CriticssaidshehadraisedtheAmericanpopularsongtothelevelofart.Shewonmanyawards.ShereceivedtheNationalMedaloftheArtsandaKennedyCenterHonorforlifetimework.TheUniversityofMarylandnamedaperformingartscenterforher.EllaFitzgerald'swonderfulvoicelivesoninhertwo-hundred-fiftyalbums.ShewonthirteenGrammyawardsgiveneachyearforthebestrecordings.HerlastGrammywasforthenineteen-ninetyrecord:"AllThatJazz":(MUSIC)ANNCR:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyNancySteinbach.TheannouncerswereShirleyGriffithandSteveEmber.mSarahLong.ListenagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.(THEME)