How tall was Ella Fitzgerald

Arch Stanton said on 25/Feb/23
Definitely gave the impression of a bigger woman on stage. Heavily built lady too, seemed taller than 5 ft 4 range. Probably one of the biggest 5 ft 4 range women I can think of but a lot of that is due to her personality.

Arch Stanton said on 24/Mar/21
She had the frame and presence of a tall woman, I could have believed 5 ft 8 if I didn't know better. I've must have heard her sing a few hundred different songs her and Sinatra are my go to singers for learning standards. She was as high as a kite in a lot of her live shows, I don't know if she was on drugs or just naturally high on life/music but she was definitely on something, the exuberance and boisterousness of young girl! I would say Sarah Vaughan, Ernestine Anderson and Julie London's voices appeal more to me though.

Jesica said on 11/Feb/21
She had an amazing voice. So many great songs...my favorite is “A Night in Tunisia.” I remember reading years ago that Ella was 5’3. I’ll give her 5’4.

Michael Davis said on 28/Jan/18
Very talented woman whose art lives on on her records

Arch Stanton said on 16/Mar/17
Rob Sinatra, Martin and Davis Jr I think could also have that tag, they often performed with the Count Basie Orchestra etc. Amy Winehouse too.

Arch Stanton said on 16/Mar/17
Thanks for that. Makes sense, as you're unlikely to be adding tons of musicians like Wayne Shorter, Stanley Turrentine, Clifford Brown and Chick Corea! I think John Coltrane and Charlie Parker like Miles are legendary enough to add though for this site.

Arch Stanton said on 16/Mar/17
@Rob, "Jazz performers" would be most useful I think, that way you can include Miles Davis and Coltrane if you ever add him.

Arch Stanton said on 14/Mar/17
Judy Garland, Liza Minelli, Burt Bacharach and Barbra Streisand I suppose could also go in that category, though they span pop and jazz really.

Arch Stanton said on 14/Mar/17
Rob, can you do me a favour and link together Jazz musicians/singers or something, Ella, Amy, Louis, Sinatra, Dean, Sammy, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, Billie Holliday, Miles Davis are ones I can think of that you have. Offhand, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Carman McRae and the great John Coltrane might be worthwhile? Obviously you aint going to add Bix Beiderbecke, Bill Evans or something haha. Dexter Gordon is a possibility though, he claimed 6 ft 6 I think and genuinely looked it! I doubt many of them would get much interest, though maybe Dinah and Coltrane scrape it.

Arch Stanton said on 14/Mar/17
Yes, though I think Ella, Etta James, Aretha Franklin maybe might be better known to some of the younger girls than a lot of the popular male jazzers like Armstrong and Miles Davis. Amy Winehouse had a wonderful feel for singers like Ella, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington etc, sad that I never appreciated her when she was alive as I'm amazed at some of the covers she did of jazz tunes only real knowledgeable jazzers would know. Tony Bennett is right to consider Amy in the league of Ella and Holiday in terms of talent anyway.

Ella doesn't strike me as the druggy type, but in a lot of her live recordings, particularly late 50s, early 60s era she's as high as a kite, clearly HIGH and scatting like a demon. She had to have been on something, I'm sure she had a trick or two.

Arch Stanton said on 10/Mar/17
It's difficult with Ella to claim she is known for those three songs. I have over a dozen albums and she's covered 90% of the standards in the book. Always my first port of call for learning a tune. Summertime is certainly one to be associated with her though. She does a memorable live recording in which she jokes around a bit.

Arch Stanton said on 7/Mar/17
Thanks Rob. I have over a dozen albums of hers! I'd thought about 5 ft 5. A lady though with her immense voice and personality though would make you thnk she was 6 ft!

MaryAnne said on 7/Mar/17
A worthy celebrity. Needed this one. RIP