On this day in 1996, Grammy Award winning singer, “The First Lady of Song”, “Lady Ella”, Ella Fitzgerald died from complications of diabetes at her home in Beverly Hills at the age of 79. Born Ella Jane Fitzgerald on 25 April 1917 in Newport News, Virginia. In my opinion, she is one of the most notable interpreters of the Great American Songbook. She made her singing debut at 17 on 21 November 1934 at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Perhaps best known for her series of “song book” recordings, collectively considered a cornerstone of 20th century recorded music. They are;
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook (1956)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook (1956)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook (1957)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook (1958)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (1959)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Harold Arlen Songbook (1961)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook (1963)
- Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Johnny Mercer Songbook (1964)
Fitzgerald married three times; Benny Kornegay (1941-1943 annulled), Ray Brown (1947-1953 divorce), and possibly Thor Einar Larsen in 1957. Bing Crosby summed it up; “Man, woman, or child, Ella is the greatest.”
The Final Footprint – Fitzgerald is entombed in the Sunset Memorial Garden Mausoleum, Sanctuary of the Bells, in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. Other notable Final Footprints at Inglewood Park include; Ray Charles, Betty Grable, Etta James, Robert Kardashian, Gypsy Rose Lee, Billy Preston, Cesar Romero, Big Mama Thornton, T-Bone Walker, and Syreeta Wright.
On this day in 1993, graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, U.S. Navy veteran, influential American politician, 39th governor of Texas, Secretary of the Navy under President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of the Treasury under President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally died of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 76, in Houston. Born John Bowden Connally on 27 February 1917 in Floresville, Texas. While he was Governor in 1963, Connally was a passenger in the car in which President Kennedy was assassinated. Connally was seriously wounded during the shooting.
The Final Footprint – His funeral was held at the First United Methodist Church of Austin where he and his wife, Nellie Connally, had been members since their days living one block to the south in the Texas Governors Mansion, 1963–1969. The Connallys are interred at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Other notable final footprints at Texas State Cemetery include; Stephen F. Austin, J. Frank Dobie, Barbara Jordan, Tom Landry (cenotaph), James A. Michener (cenotaph), Ann Richards, Edwin “Bud” Shrake, Big Foot Wallace, and Walter Prescott Webb.
On this day in 2014, disc jockey, music historian, radio personality, actor and voice actor Casey Kasem died at St. Anthony’s Hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington at the age of 82. Born Kemal Amin Kasem on April 27, 1932 in Detroit, Michigan. Perhaps best known as the host of several music radio countdown programs, notably American Top 40 from 1970 until his retirement in 2009, and being the first actor to voice Norville “Shaggy” Rogers in the Scooby-Doo franchise from 1969 to 1997, and again from 2002 until 2009.
Kasem co-founded the American Top 40 franchise in 1970, hosting it from its inception to 1988, and again from 1998 to 2004. Between January 1989 and early 1998, he was the host of Casey’s Top 40, Casey’s Hot 20 and Casey’s Countdown. From 1998 to 2009, Kasem also hosted two adult contemporary spinoffs of American Top 40: American Top 20 and American Top 10. He helped found the American Video Awards in 1983 and continued to co-produce and host it until its final show in 1987.
Kasem was married to Linda Myers from 1972 to 1979.
with wife Jean at the 1993 Emmy Awards
Kasem was married to actress Jean Thompson from 1980 until his death.
The Final Footprint
Reportedly, Kasem wanted to be buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. Jean had him interred in an unmarked grave at Vestre Gravlund, a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway on December 16, 2014.
#RIP #OTD 2019 director (Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, La Traviata, Pagliacci, Tea with Mussolini) Franco Zeffirelli died at his home in Rome, at the age of 96. Cimitero Monumentale Delle Porte Sante, Florence
#RIP #OTD in 2023 actress (Women in Love; A Touch of Class; Mary, Queen of Scots; Hedda; The Incredible Sarah; House Calls; Stevie; Hopscotch; Elizabeth is Missing), English politician, Glenda Jackson died at her Blackheath, London home aged 87
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