| This famous songbird touched many lives with her stunning voice. Born in 1917, she was the premier jazz vocalist of her time. She was known for her ability to improvise, especially with her scat singing, which is using nonsense syllables to imitate an instrument. She broke barriers with her Great American Songbook series, in which she sang the works of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and George and Ira Gershwin, among others. These recordings appealed to people of all backgrounds, and showed Fitzgerald's ability to interpret music that was not necessarily written for an African American singer. Fitzgerald demonstrated the power of music to tear down racial boundaries and unite people. |