Ella & Marilyn
This Week —
Full disclosure: I was kind of nerdy as a kid (and I’m proud to say I still am!). For example, when every teenybopper in the universe was scraping together money to purchase the latest Backstreet Boys album, I was bananas over Ella Fitzgerald tracks. I simply couldn’t get enough of her singing, especially her live concerts when she had fun improvising lyrics. This week is dedicated to this absolute queen and her inspiring music.
A Story About Allyship —
One special aspect of Ella Fitzgerald was her beautiful friendship with Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn once declared Ella Fitzgerald as, “.... my very favorite person, and I love her as a singer.” She was absolutely aware of the disrespectful ways black performers were treated in the 1950s and 60s and intentionally used her status as a Hollywood star to help foster Ella’s career. The Mocambo, for example, the most famous nightclub in West Hollywood at the time, wouldn’t book Ella because she didn’t fit the mold of the black singers considered acceptable enough to perform for white audiences. Marilyn promptly called up the owner and promised to show up every night if he booked Ella. He accepted, and in front of a packed house filled with press, celebrities and Marilyn sitting in the front row, Ella knocked their socks off. It goes without saying that Marilyn wholeheartedly supported Ella and helped her in front of the masses—and the rest is history.
Book Recommendations —
Here’s an amazing book about the inspiring friendship of Ella and Marilyn, two incredibly talented women who came together to help each other shine. The Elf has been loving this book since we got it a few weeks ago, and it has sparked many conversations about friendships, empathy, and supporting friends.
Happy swinging!
(Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission when you click through and make a purchase)
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