This Day In History - Ella Fitzgerald's First Performance 1931

Ella Fitzgerald's First Performance 1931

Sunday, November 21, 2021

All Day

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Event Description

On the evening of November 21, 1934, a young and gangly would-be dancer took to the stage of Harlem's Apollo Theater to participate in a harrowing tradition known as Amateur Night. Finding herself onstage as a result of pure chance after her name was drawn out of a hat, the aspiring dancer spontaneously decided to turn singer instead—a change of heart that would prove momentous not only for herself personally, but also for the future course of American popular music. The performer in question was a teenaged Ella Fitzgerald, whose decision to sing rather than dance on this dayin 1934 set her on a course toward becoming a musical legend.

Event Location

New York City, NY, USA