Ella Fitzgerald

Since Ella Fitzgerald’s passing in 1996, there’s now a major biography that shows the depth of her character and her lasting impact on American Music. Written by Judith Tick an authority on American music and women in music, Judith is…

On August 4, 1901, Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans. Until the age of five, Armstrong's grandmother was his caregiver. At the age of six, he attended the Fisk School for Boys, an all black school in New Orleans. While performing odd…

Eleanora Fagan was born on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia. As a child, she started going by Billie Holiday, Billie from Billie Dove and Holiday from her dad. She began listening to records by Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. Her mother…

William James "Count" Basie was born in Red Bank, New Jersey in August 1904. Both of his parents played instruments: his dad on mellophone, his mom on piano. He dreamt of traveling, heavily inspired by touring carnivals. However, he spent…

Not many institutions mean as much to a community as The Apollo Theater means to Harlem. In The Apollo, academy and Emmy award-winning director—Roger Ross Williams, spends nearly two hours examining not only the musical importance of the…

The Harlem Renaissance was responsible for allowing African-Americans to focus on their past, as well as develop a unique identity for themselves, thus creating a culture within a culture. It brought people closer to their roots, and…