【美国人物志】艾拉·费兹杰拉（4/5）

英语自学网

艾拉·费兹杰拉，爵士三女伶之一的急智歌后，被誉为「爵士第一夫人」。艾拉曾赢得13个葛莱美奖，并分别被前美国总统里根和乔治·H·W·布什颁赠国家艺术勋章和总统自由勋章。
Hints:
Ella Fitzgerald
Beatles
Burt Bacharach
Norman Granz
Beverly Hills, California
Duke Ellington
Count Basie's
Sarah Vaughn
Peggy Lee

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Ella Fitzgerald also appeared in movies and on television. She became popular internationally. She performed in concerts around the world sometimes 40 weeks a year. She also recorded for different record companies.
In the 1960s, she began to sing more modern songs such as those written by the Beatles and Burt Bacharach. But she was not very successful with that kind of popular music. She returned to jazz in 1973, again with Norman Granz. She also began performing with symphony orchestras.
Ella Fitzgerald was married two times. Both marriages ended in divorce. She raised three children who were not her own.
Ella lived quietly in Beverly Hills, California. Throughout her life she was a very private person. She wanted to be known only for her music. Her friends included members of the Duke Ellington band, Count Basie's band, and singers like Sarah Vaughn and Peggy Lee.
Ella Fitzgerald began to have health problems during the 1970s. She had the disease diabetes which caused problems with her eyes. She had a heart operation in 1986. In 1993, the effects of diabetes led to operations to remove both her legs. She died June 15th, 1996.