Who’s Really the Most Famous Person from Every State?

Ella Fitzgerald was born in Newport News, Virginia, in 1917. After losing her mother as a child, she moved north, but her Virginia roots remained part of her identity. Early hardship shaped her resilience and lent a raw honesty to the remarkable voice she carried onto the stage.

Fitzgerald became the “First Lady of Song,” with recordings of Summertime and the Great American Songbook defining jazz standards. Her phrasing and improvisation earned her worldwide acclaim. Virginia honors Fitzgerald as its shining star of song, a singer with unmatched beauty and grace.