Ella Fitzgerald

S = Standifer
EF = Ella Fitzgerald

S ...one person.
EF Yeah?

S The sign of ... hundreds of people gasping at the same time. The next day in the Los Angeles Times it was as if a huge animal just got together one time and gasped. It was the most -- I wish I could have caught that. I don't think anything like that ever happened in history.
EF Well.

S Did you bruise anything?
EF Fortunately, the doctors were right there.

S Oh.
EF All my doctors. I have a foot doctor then I had a heart doctor and my other doctor, and it was funny. They were all right there sitting in the front, too. And when I fell before, I had a doctor friend from Washington there. And he was back stage with us. Fortunately, as soon as I fell, well he was back stage and he tore off my stocking, and I was saying, "oh, don't tear my stocking off." And by that time, the other doctors came, and they put ice on it and as long as it didn't bruise it too much. It just had a bruise.

S Did this lead you to swell?
EF Well, you see, they caught it right away.

S Oh, I see.
EF They caught it right away and they put the ice packs on it during intermission.

S Well, had I known those doctors were there, I would have come up there myself because I think I was really -- there was one lady in the front of me and she said, "Oh, my Lord, God", and they had to get a doctor for her because they were fanning her, you know, like in the old black churches. I remember it was the most striking -- I am 52 years old and I've gone to concerts like this. Hubey always took me. Hubey Blake was a godfather to me and he'd take me around to a lot of places. But, that night, and to see you sing after that, I mean, how did you...?
EF I felt good. I felt good. I think it was because that was like one of the first concerts that we had done since the doctors had let me come back and sing. You know, they allowed me like two a month, or three a month. So, I had been down to El Camino and, for some reason, that college looked like every time I always had been there for so many times, so I was happy with that and then we played with the Basie band at San Diego, I think it was. I think I'm right. And, I was ready to go and I guess when I got there at the Bowl and I saw everybody, I just felt like, "Oh, gosh!"

S Old times, right?
EF Yeah. I wanted to work.

S Are they letting you work more now?
EF I did three days in Palm Springs -- three nights -- and that was wonderful, because that was like, "yeah, I can sing every night, you know?"

S Because they did nights?
EF Yes. Three consecutive nights. Then, we went to Radio City in New York.

S My, so you were performing as you were before you got sick.
EF Yes, but they slowed me down. I have to kind of sit down a little once in a while, you know, because he said that he didn't want me standing so long. So we usually do like 2-1/2 hours, or something like that, so my doctors insist that I learn how to sit down on a stool.

S This would drive me nervous. This is not Ella sitting and singing.
EF Yeah, I bet so. You can say that again because I forget, and I get carried away, and the first thing you know I'm up again, then a fellow says, "oh, oh!" , and I start going by the piano player.

S Well. Sarah Vaughn was here a few weeks ago and she was in dress, but she went out bare foot, because her feet were swollen. And she told them, "look, I get old. I'm old and my feet are...you're going to have to let me do this concert." So, she sat for the first time I've ever seen her play a single note.
EF Well, lots of the girls are sitting now. Peggy Lee,

S Oh, she is?
EF Yes.

S What about Carmen McRae? Does she sit?
EF I don't know about Carmen, but I know Peggy Lee sits and I know Sarah sits a lot.

S Well, you look so regal, though, like I see you now, I have never seen you in red before. I mean just solid red.
EF Well, I'd wear red -- for some reason I had a red beaded suit they liked, and I had a red dress, and everybody said they liked me in red, so I use a couple of red dresses.

S Now, I'm going to say this. This is from _____, I've seen you many, many years, and seeing you in this size is, I don't know, it's one of the most striking as if you're beginning all over again, from a young girl.
EF Oh, listen, I wear my pants now. I'm like all women now, I can get into those pants and that thrills me.

S Well, my wife said the same thing when she lost weight. She said it's so nice to be able to wear things that I want to wear.
EF Yes. That you want to wear. That's right.

S And it makes a difference.
EF Yes. And I go to therapy when I'm home twice a week, which helps a lot.

S Do you ever work in the yard?
EF No, I go to therapy at one of the clinics.

S There in Beverly Hills?
EF Yeah. Not in Beverly Hills. It's down near the hospital and I do my bicycle riding and my walking up the hill, what you call it.

S The tread-mill.
EF Yes. Tread-mill, oh boy, they have to stop me some times.

S Well, you know I'm a musician and I want to ask you a music question. I try to determine what key is your favorite key. I know sometimes you do B-flat, and F-major. It depends on what song it is.
EF Don't ask me. I'm not a musician.

S Okay, well
EF Yeah, I try to sing where I think it fits me comfortable.

S Okay. And I've noticed they are able to accommodate you. Lemon Drops. Now, that's a song that you sang -- I heard you sing that and I heard a recording of that. That is the most incredible tour de force that I've ever seen. Can you still do that? Or do you still try _____?
EF Well, I haven't practiced that one with the fellows.

S Isn't that a very difficult? I mean, when you do that, you just seem to be totally involved, and all those sounds -- sound, sound, --
EF Well, you're better than I am.

S Do you still do Billy May arrangements?
EF We don't play that many places where we work with the orchestra, unless we play the hotels or with the symphony. And, otherwise, we work with the trio or like if we work with Basie's band somewhere, which I hope we can do some more.

S ___ ____. Well, I can hardly talk about Count Basie. He was so nice to me and now that he's gone, I get sort of up-tight.
EF Well, he was nice to everybody.

S He was such a
EF Everybody loved that man -- the children, we'd go to different cities and he'd be walking down the alley with the kids and all that, and they would follow him. It was just beautiful.

S And the same thing is true about Roy Eldridge which I knew for a long, long time.
EF Yes. We just recorded his little jazz.

S Oh, you did?
EF Yes.

S Where, in Los Angeles?
EF Yes.

S Oh, my goodness. When is it going to be released?
EF I don't know. Norman Grant is -- you'd have to ask Norm about that.

S You've been with Norm a long, long time, right?
EF Well, that was my manager.

S I know. One other thing. You said once, when you were here before, that Chick Well taught you a great deal. Did he teach you in terms of music or just to be a performer? What one or two things did you think you'd ____ ____?
EF Well, I have three musicians I called my lawyers. Chick was the first. I didn't call him lawyer, though then, because I was, you know, just running. Just playing baseball and everything. But he always gave me one thing to remember and that was you meet the same people going up. I mean, you meet the same people going down, as you meet going up, so always remember that and you don't feel embarrassed or something like that. And, one was from Duke and Duke always taught me that something can hurt you and it hurts you real bad, and it's like a toothache and you get rid of that toothache, you miss it, but you'll feel better.

S Well, I can tell you one thing. Whoever you meet going up or down, they are going to all bow to you. Because I've never seen a more gracious. Each time I've seen you, even when you were really -- right after performance -- you've always been gracious. At the airport the other night, and I'm curious. Do you feel sometimes that it's too much, though? I guess fans and...
EF No. I love it. I love it because I feel grateful because I feel that ____??__ is the one that makes you. I mean, for you to feel that you could do something all by yourself, it's been proven. You don't. You have to have somebody behind you or to help you and if the people don't want you, then, no matter what you sing it doesn't mean a thing.

S Well, I can tell you what you sing means. It's meant a lot to me. I meant it seriously when I told you that I followed you around for 10 years, actually, to Spellman College, to Detroit Montroux Jazz
EF Yeah

S and it's meant a lot to me. I'm a professor here at the University of Michigan. Full professor.
EF Oh, congratulations.

S at the School of Music, and again, seeing you, just to see you and see you hang in there. When you got sick, I think half the Nation was...
EF You should see the cards that I have received. I never got a chance to answer all of them. I answered as many as I could, but it's just a wonderful feeling. That's why I say I could never be no other way. I might give a little nervous or something, or something like that if somebody approached me at the wrong time, but I think we all do that.

S We all do it. Right.
EF We all do that. And I just love people. At my house, the fellows that had the tours, they'd bring the people by and when they'd bring them by I'd come out and take pictures for them. So, that's love. If they can take the time to want to take your picture, or want to say hello, there's nothing wrong to say "hello" back. My cousin told me there's nothing that beats a smile. Because I used to be real self-conscious. Somebody was laughing and was looking at me and right away I thought they were making fun of me, and she says you can make them feel bad if you smile. So, that's why I always try to be that way.

S Well, you've given love for a long time to this country and I'll even be a little bit selfish to Black people, too. I think my daughter thinks that, she said, "Dad, I want to be like Ms. Fitzgerald." So, every kind of concert you have, I bring her. And I think it is that smile. So, you've given a great deal of love. More than perhaps you've ever received.
EF Oh, no. I don't think so.

S Well, we want you to...
EF I don't think I could work if I felt that I wasn't satisfying the audience.

S Well, just know that we love you and I hope that you remember James Standifer. I'm from Texas and I went to Fisk University. I'm saying all these things selfishly because I do want you to remember me. And if there's anything that you want and you'd like that I can do for you, don't hesitate. Just let me know.
EF Thank you.

S It's been delightful. And Thanks for giving us the time.
EF Oh, well I run when I start running my mouth, you know, it's like all women, you never know when to stop.

S Well, I still think your son, though, you tell him I think he was one of my best students and I wish he had come to the School of Music here. I think we could have done something. I tell my son, too, that you are the best, because you have to give them a little bit more these days.
EF Well, you know, that's a beautiful thing that people say, well this one is the best, that one is the best, but I guess when I was ill in the hospital, you have time to think of different things and you see people come up and, you know, and the kids run to this one, they go to this one this week, this one they love, the next week they love that one and I think if it was only one person, we'd get bored. We'd be bored. Because just listening to me sing all the time, and you don't hear anybody else, well, then you don't get a chance to see how they sing. Because I started by trying to sing like Ms. Connie Boswell. I had a record of hers and she wasn't an old woman or nothing, but they had a record out at that time, and it was called "Judy". That's how I won my first amateur contest.

S Oh, this was the $10 prize you won?
EF Yes. And she sang "Judy, An Object of My Affection" and I tried to sing "Object of My Affection" like her because she had that southern drawl, you know. And I thought that I would try that and I won first prize. S You certainly did and that is one of the most historical things, because everybody that I know, not one person that I've ever met who doesn't know about that. And I mean they just hang on the word _____. Do you remember how you felt? Did you cry afterwards? When you were given the winner. They said, "You're the Winner."
EF No. I think that I was too dumb at that time. I had really made -- this was a bet that my girlfriends Frances and the other girl, I can't think of her name now. We had made a bet to sign to go on the amateur hour, and I was the one that got the call. S Oh, really?
EF Yes.

S And then you had to, well, were they sitting in the audience when you were?
EF Yes.

S I'll bet they jumped up and screamed and all of that.
EF Oh, yes. I never thought that they would call me.

S Are any of those girls around today?
EF I don't know. The other girl was Frances, and I haven't been up to Yonkers for a long time, so I wouldn't know.

S Well, at least you remember old friends. I don't know, there are so many good things and interesting traits about you, Ms. Fitzgerald. I can't call you "Ella". I've tried and tried, but
EF Why not?

S I don't know. Maybe it's because... I'm not sure. I'm really not.
EF Well, that's what most people call me.

S I know it.
EF In Europe, when they put the signs up they say, "Ella". They never say "Fitzgerald" "Ella".

S Well maybe I'll still be employed when I'm will be 60. I'll be able to say "Ella". Well, again, I'm going to leave you. You look beautiful tonight. You really do.
EF Well, this isn't what I'm working in.

S Oh, you've got another?
EF But I'm the Lady in Red here.

S Oh. I'm curious. Where did you get that suit?
EF I got that from Mrs. Piccaso when we played Antigue one time, and she used to come to the concerts all the time -- the jazz concerts -- and she had a gorgeous white dress on and she had this on, and after the concert she came over and I said, "Oh, you look so beautiful." And she said, "Je bous et vous". And that just thrilled me, and she took it off and gave it to me. And I think if I lost it I don't know what I'd do.

S It is so beautiful. Even with the lights.
EF It's so light, too.

S Oh, it is. I thought it was kind of heavy.
EF No. It's very light.

S Because the first time I saw it, the lights were making the green sometimes shine on you and it's very interesting.
EF Oh, I didn't know there was green in there. That's how much I know.

S I've got bifocals, so I probably... Maybe they change colors there. It's beautiful. I can tell you. You look beautiful. I keep saying that because you're...
EF Well, you're very kind.

S Well, it's not kindness. They say the truth shall set you free! And I mean that.
EF Thank you, dear.

S It's been wonderful. Thank you for coming to Ann Arbor and thank you for talking with us.
EF And. Thank you very much. I could go on and on and on, when you start me, but I do have to work, so I'd better save some.

S Thank you.

END OF INTERVIEW