Vintage 1950s Personalities

Vintage 1950s Personalities

Marilyn Monroe changed Ella Fitzgerald's Life

          Marilyn Monroe was working on her singing ability and studied the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald at the advice of her vocal coach.  Monroe was instructed to purchase Fitzgerald’s recordings of Gershwin's music and listen to it 100 times in a row. The continued study of Fitzgerald's work turned Monroe into a great admirer. Reportedly, Monroe respected Fitzgerald so much she scrutinized Ella’s early recordings to help develop her own voice.

          During the ‘50s, one of the most popular venues was the Mocambo Club in Hollywood. Frank Sinatra made his Los Angeles debut at The Mocambo Club in 1943, and it was frequented by the likes of Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Lana Turner.

          At that time, Fitzgerald was not allowed to perform at Mocambo Club because of her race. Then, one of her biggest fans made a telephone call that changed the path of her career for good.

          Monroe heard the Macambo Club banned Fitzgerald and thought it ridiculous. Monroe called the manager of the club and said that she would sit front row every night if Fitzgerald got the job. She promised to pull in not only massive crowds but the press. The manager couldn't bypass such a deal. He agreed and booked Fitzgerald. As promised Marilyn Monroe was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard to cover the club and its celebrity clientele.

          "I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt," Fitzgerald would say later. "After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She (Marylin) was an unusual woman — and ahead of her time, and she didn't know it."

To hear the music that Marilyn Monroe studied, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t3ZbT1Tavg