Ella: The One and Only

By Sheilah Kast,

Published November 26, 2018 at 10:42 AM EST

She’s known as the ‘First Lady of Song’ , the ‘Queen of Jazz.’ Ella Jane Fitzgerald overcame poverty, abuse and racism to build an international career that spanned seven decades and a foundation in her name. We talk with Geoffrey Mark, author of ‘Ella: A Biography of the Legendary Ella Fitzgerald,’ who walks us through the story behind the music. We learn about some of her personal and professional relationships, her vulnerabilities, and what impelled her insatiable love for connecting to a live audience.

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Sheilah Kast

Sheilah Kast is the host of On The Record, Monday-Friday, 9:30-10:00 am.

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Melissa Gerr

Melissa Gerr is a Senior Producer for On the Record. She started in public media at Twin Cities Public Television in St. Paul, Minn., where she is from, and then worked as a field producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland. She made the jump to audio-lover in Baltimore as a digital media editor at Mid-Atlantic Media and Laureate Education, Inc. and as a field producer for "Out of the Blocks." Her beat is typically the off-beat with an emphasis on science, culture and things that make you say, 'Wait, what?'

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