BECOMING ELLA FITZGERALD is Judith Tick’s unique and valuable biography of one of the 20th century’s greatest singers. Ella Fitzgerald’s musical style has been and will continue to be cherished by those who share her wide range of genres, songs and syllables.

Drawing on well-established sources, Tick’s portrait begins as Ella began --- in a family officially designated at one time as “mulatto,” or mixed race. Her father left home when she was two, never to be seen again. Her mother, a hard-working woman, found another mate who moved the family from Virginia to Yonkers, New York. Though their neighborhood was not the best, it was a Black haven, and Ella excelled in her early education. But by her teen years, she was on the streets, spent time in a reformatory school, and by chance was “discovered” as she sang wherever she went. This led to her entry into a music competition, hoping to win recognition as a dancer. She ended up taking first prize --- as a singer.

"Tick brings Ella and her musical success to new light with diligent research, suggesting that she had many fears and sorrows. However, her determination and ability to rise and stay ahead was undeniable."

What followed was a lifelong career that budded and bloomed with the help of admirers and those who thought to make a name or a fortune for themselves by touting and displaying her. Ella was reserved and rigorously polite in private, but she was different in public. She was adored by audiences and backed by a jazz band like that of Chick Webb, who first took her on (initially reluctantly) as a “girl singer.” Her career ascent was steady and, by a certain point, dazzling, with television appearances on prime time and nearly constant touring. Her hits included “Cheek to Cheek” and “It Don’t Mean a Thing.”

Those who saw Ella perform knew that she had controlled but sensuous movements to match the swing of the music, and that her voice was almost like a newly invented and never-duplicated horn or pipe. She performed with the greats of her era, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. She received a multitude of awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Some would say that she invented her chosen style of swing and made others want to imitate it. Her rhythmic “scat” singing was said to be the best in the world.

Tick brings Ella and her musical success to new light with diligent research, suggesting that she had many fears and sorrows. However, her determination and ability to rise and stay ahead was undeniable. Tick offers a list of Ella’s “Charted Hot Singles,” along with a lengthy bibliography. She portrays Ella in and out of the limelight with a kind of consistency that is a hallmark of those who gain enduring attention.

No matter the size of her audience, Ella would review her set list before going onstage, making sure that it was appropriate and that she was fully prepared for the impression she wished to make. This is in line with what she said in her waning years: Sound and lyrics were her way of sharing, like “neighbors, where we share and love each other.”