ella forever!!

Stuart nicholson's biography of the life of the” Queen of Jazz” Ella Fitzgerald was great. He wrote about the life of Ella in a way that made you feel like you were growing up as she did experiencing everything as she did. In the book the author tells about the obstacles that she came across in her life and what made her into the strong successful women that she was. Where having strong beliefs and dreams could get you if you wanted it enough. The author gives you details and insight on important events in her life that you may have not known.

In the book Ella mourns the loss of her parents at a young age where she needed them the most. Soon after Ella began on a down spiral. Going in and out of foster homes, and becoming homeless Ella continues on her path to success. Following her success came more problems though such as being discriminated against. While reading this book you will identify with a true American dream and what it takes to get there.

I couldn't finish this book because it just dragged with too much music detail for me.

After thinking on it for a few days, I’m changing my review to two stars. The author seems to have little interest in a large portion of Ella’s music, and frankly was unnecessarily rude about her throughout the book. I had to go read Gary Giddins’ chapter on her in ‘Visions of Jazz’ to cleanse my palate.

If you’re a jazz fan then this is great read. Covers Ella’s life in great detail and a wonderful insight into her love of singing, her motivation, fears and challenges. Also gives reader a history of jazz throughout the 20th century and covers many other famous jazz musicians who worked with and admired Ella.

Jazz critic, Stuart Nicholson has written a detailed and well-researched biography of the great jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald and her band. I gave it four stars because I had hoped there would be more about her personal life with her family and friends instead the book focuses on her performances and music. I have a feeling that Ella was so private that this biographer could not find out more of the gist of who she was as a person so that was disappointing.

I am interested in reading about Ella Fitzgerald's life. I am not interested in reading Mr. Nicholson's opinions on her swing era repertoire, where he takes a giant steaming dump on her music of that time frame and later periods where those songs resurface. His opinions are out of place contextually, are unnecessary to further our knowledge of the subject, and cast a shadow over the story of Ella's life, as though you were reading her story through the lens of a whiny, bitter critic who only cares about her contributions to bebop and doesn't appreciate her vast talents because they are not entirely suited to his taste. I'd like to read a biography written by a true fan of her music and I'll second others' reviews about the book containing very little information about Ella's personal experiences.

Great book, but a lot of unneeded detailsm

This would probably get 5 stars for a serious student of music history. For the reader just interested in learning about Fitzgerald's life, the book is a bit dry. The heavy focus on performance and recording dates, venues, contracts, and personnel reflects thorough research and information much of which went over this reader's head. However, this also points to the primary aspect of Fitzgerald: she lived to perform, her work was her life. A few incidents about her life are reported, and at the end there is a very interesting comparison between Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday; but the fact is that Fitzgerald lived a clean life without the drama that yields good narrative script. She had a poor background but worked hard to become one of the foremost jazz singers with international acclaim. She loved her audience and they loved her.

Ella Fitzgerald led a fascinating life, from growing up during the Great Depression and doing her first audition as a teenager that was living on the street, dirty and dressed in ragged clothes, to living in luxury as the First Lady of Jazz. This biography was well researched and included detailed information about Ella’s life. I had to listen to her singing some of her songs on You Tube to add to the enjoyment of reading the book!

Too dry, like reading a textbook

I would’ve liked to see more discussion about her musicality and how her life and her music coincide. It’s more information than wikipedia but it doesn’t dive as deep as I would’ve liked.