Quotes by Ella Fitzgerald
“I’ve had some wonderful love affairs and some that didn’t work out. I don’t want to dwell on that and I don’t want to put people down, but I think all the fabulous places I’ve been, the wonderful things that have happened for me, the great people I’ve met – that ought to make a story.”
“Some kids in Italy call me ‘Mama Jazz; I thought that was so cute. As long as they don’t call me ‘Grandma Jazz.'”
“Oh, I have gobs and gobs of ideas, but… well, you dream things like that, and that’s what these are, you know–my day dreams.”
“I sing like I feel.”
“A lot of singers think all they have to do is exercise their tonsils to get ahead. They refuse to look for new ideas and new outlets, so they fall by the wayside… I’m going to try to find out the new ideas before the others do.”
“I know I’m no glamour girl, and it’s not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people. It used to bother me a lot, but now I’ve got it figured out that God gave me this talent to use, so I just stand there and sing.”
“I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.”
“It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts.”
“Coming through the years, and finding that I not only have just the fans of my day, but the young ones of today — that’s what it means, it means it was worth all of it.”
“The only thing better than singing is more singing.”
“Once, when we were playing at the Apollo, Holiday was working a block away at the Harlem Opera House. Some of us went over between shows to catch her, and afterwards we went backstage. I did something then, and I still don’t know if it was the right thing to do – I asked her for her autograph.”
“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.”
“I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.”
Quotes about Ella Fitzgerald
“The one radio voice that I listened to above others belonged to Ella Fitzgerald. There was a quality to her voice that fascinated me, and I’d sing along with her, trying to catch the subtle ways she shaded her voice, the casual yet clean way she sang the words.”
— Doris Day
“Ella’s voice becomes the orchestra’s richest and most versatile sound.”
— Arthur Fiedler
“She has been more famous, over a longer time span, than any other female singer.”
— Leonard Feather
“Man, woman or child, Ella is the greatest of them all.”
— Bing Crosby
“The best way to start any musical evening is with this girl. It don’t get better than this.”
— Frank Sinatra
“Music comes out of her. When she walks down the street, she leaves notes.”
— Jimmy Rowles
“She has been one of my all-time favorite singers for many years and still is – she’s terrific.”
— Perry Como
“She was the best. She was the best there ever was. Amongst all of us who sing, she was the best.”
— Johnny Mathis
“Every other singer, male or female, if they’re lucky, they listen to Ella.”
— Pat Boone
“I call her the High Priestess of Song.”
— Mel Torme
“I was there from the beginning, and it was obvious from the start what she had that night at the Apollo. My goodness, what she’s done with it.”
— Benny Carter
“Whatever she does to my songs, she always makes them sound better.”
— Richard Rodgers
“There is no voice like that lady. She has it all. She’s complete.”
— Louie Bellson
“Ella is simply the greatest singer of them all.”
— Pearly Bailey
“Ella’s musicianship is just incredible. Playing with her is like playing with a full orchestra.”
— Ed Thigpen
“Ella’s amazing! My daughter says that every time she makes a mistake, it becomes a hit record.”
— Lucille Ball
“If you want to learn how to sing, listen to Ella Fitzgerald.”
— Vincente Minnelli
“Ella is the boss lady. That’s all.”
— Billy Strayhorn
“She brings out the best in everybody, making everyone work that much harder to keep up with her.”
— Andy Williams
“It is so much fun to sing with Ella. It is so nice to sing with someone who does more than make a pretty noise.”
— Jo Stafford
“She is the most thorough professional I have worked with, every working moment was pure joy.”
— Richard Perry
” She is amazingly creative, bringing so much more to a song than just a singer. She is a first-class musician and the most gracious person in the world.”
— Marty Paich
“She always encouraged me to create and take my turn in our duets, never playing the star.”
— Joe Pass