Ella Fitzgerald lived to sing - and not only because she sang so superlatively well. Only in the ecstatic excitement of performance could she leave behind a life that was often unhappy: the voice that transported generations of listeners took Ella herself to a place where she was in control. This remarkable biography cuts through the legend of Ella to the reality, but it reaches the woman by setting the singer where she always wanted to be: on centre stage. The first biographer to place Ella's music firmly in the foreground, Stuart Nicholson ends up creating by far the fullest picture yet of one of the most enigmatic, but unforgettable personalities in jazz.

Ella Fitzgerald

Biographies & Memoirs

Stuart Nicholson

Arts & Literature

Victor Gollancz

For sale only in the United States, its dependencies, Japan, and the Philippines

Billie Holiday

Victor Gollancz, Ltd.

<p>Ella Fitzgerald, who died in 1996, came from a poverty-stricken background. She was abandoned by her father, possibly abused by her stepfather and lived on the streets as a teenager. As a club singer she had to contend with racism, sexism and advances from predatory men. But in the 1950s, just when Billie Holiday, from a similar background, was falling toward drug addiction and a sordid death, Fitzgerald escaped the seeming inevitability of that fate. Her songbook albums relaunched her career in a new direction, and she became a beloved figure in American jazz, known for her musical precision and luminous clarity. This biography offers an assessment of the emotional strength apparent in both her life and music.</p>

Gollancz

Billie Holiday was one of the most inspiringly talented singers of the 20th century, appreciated not just in the world of jazz, but by music lovers across the whole musical spectrum. Stuart Nicholson successfully describes the complexities of Holiday's personality, her art and her times in this well-written and original biography. Acclaimed as 'Notable Book of the Year' by the New York Times it is a gripping insight in to the life and music of Billie Holiday, who was without doubt a phenomenon of American culture.

Indigo Paperbacks

<p>Provides an insightful study of the dramatically successful musical career and turbulent private life of jazz great Ella Fitzgerald, in a portrait that reveals how the singer transcended racial and sexual prejudice and includes a complete discography.</p>

Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz

Humor & Entertainment

Charles Scribner`s Sons

Taylor&Francis

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stuart Nicholson. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Stuart Nicholson

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Stuart Nicholson. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Ella Fitzgerald

Billie Holiday

Ella Fitzgerald

Billie Holiday

Ella Fitzgerald: A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz

Ella Fitzgerald