Ella Fitzgerald Quotes

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

It’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re going that counts.

It isn’t where you came from, it’s where you’re going that counts.

The only thing better than singing is more singing.

I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt… she personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him – and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status – that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman – a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.

I had to learn to do everything at once and learn fast. Every day was intense but I loved it. It was like my apprenticeship.

I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think.

I know I’m no glamour girl, and it’s not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people. It used to bother me a lot, but now I’ve got it figured out that God gave me this talent to use, so I just stand there and sing.

I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them.

My mother brought me, and she didn’t have any piano players that they could afford at the time for the children’s class, so she asked the teacher could she teach me a little bit. She taught me a whole lot, all that she knew.

I live to sing… there are times when I feel like stopping, but I still wake up the next morning and sing.

It isn’t true what they say about women over 50, that we start falling apart. You’ve got to show them that we’re not going to fall apart, we’re going to keep going strong until the end.

I’m glad I was born when I was. My time was the golden age of variety. If I were starting out again now, maybe things would happen for me, but it certainly would not be on a variety show with 28 musicians, 12 dancers, two major guest stars, 50 costumes a week by Bob Mackie. The networks just wouldn’t spend the money today.

If I’m going to do something, I do it spectacularly or I don’t do it at all.

I had some great things and I had some bad things. The best and the worst. But so does everyone. Isn’t that what life’s supposed to be?

I’m very shy, and I shy away from people. But the moment I hit the stage, it’s a different feeling I get nerve from somewhere; maybe it’s because it’s something I love to do.

You have to be a bastard to make it, and that’s a fact. And the Beatles are the biggest bastards on Earth.

I’m not taking a rap; I’m telling the truth. That’s not a story.

To me it feels like Ella Fitzgerald is my own personal singer.

The only thing better than singing is more singing.

I stole everything I ever heard, but mostly I stole from the horns.

Man, woman or child, there is no one in the world who doesn’t like these songs.

I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.

I wasn’t at all sure I could make it. I was singing in a little place called the Chateau in Stockholm in 1960, and I had a black dress on at the time, and I had all my equipment and it was very late, everybody was in bed but the engineer and this little girl came in and she said, ‘Oh I’m sorry, but I wonder if you would mind singing one song?’ And I said, ‘Well, okay.’ And she told me that I had sung everything, and I said, ‘Well, do you know ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love’? and she said, ‘Yes.’ So we did the song and then we said ‘Goodnight,’ and she said, ‘Goodnight, Cousin Ella,’ and I said ‘What did you call me?’ and she said, ‘Well, I … see, I love your voice,’ and I said, ‘Oh, thank you very much.’ And then she said, ‘Well, I wanted to tell you,’ she said, ‘that you’ll get along with your own very good, but there’ll be at least one funny one among them, and if you’ll notice this, don’t worry about it that’s nothing,’ and I said, ‘Well, how do you know?’ and she said, ‘Well, because I’m Cousin Grace from Norway and they wanted to get you up. They didn’t [remember] but the postman found out I have a goood ear and a good eye and he told my father,’ and then they wrote to Mr. Norman Granz and Mr. Norman Granz answered them and then they called me.

From the time I started singing, people have been trying to slap labels on me: jazz singer, blues singer, pop singer. I never wanted that. I always wanted to be recognized as an all-around singer.

I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.

I had to learn to do everything at once and learn fast. Every day was intense but I loved it. It was like my apprenticeship.

You have to be a bastard to make it, and that’s a fact. And the Beatles are the biggest bastards on Earth.

I ain’t got nothing but the blues.

All I can say is thanks, God, for everything. For giving me the ability to be here with you all and being able to sing with good musicians.

The only thing better than singing is more singing.

Ellington was famous for other musicians. But Ellington’s band was still playing when Duke was dead. Bands like Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, they had to have Duke’s dancers and his singers.

One thing about playing the real jazz is that you can’t count it.

There are people who have photographed me because they think I’m nice to look at. But when I sing, I assume a shape and substance and color that’s heavy and sensuous enough to override any lust for the flesh.

Every time I look at you I think you’re just a sweet little boy, but when I take my eyes off you, you’re the world famous Duke Ellington.

The real Duke Ellington is creative. And he’s not afraid to take a chance. He was good when it was Chick Webb’s band… he was good when it was Jimmy Lunceford’s. that’s the real Duke Ellington.

Getting a lot of foundation on your face doesn’t keep you from looking like a pile of rocks. It had solidify on my face. But boy, I loved it! My face looked so white sometimes it was blue as a cornflower.

Growing up, I used to think that biscuits and grocers have a lot in common. They are what they use to do business.

You are judged by the company you keep.

There ain’t nothin’ I can’t do.

The only thing better than singing is more singing.

My personal life is exactly that–personal.

You can’t stop me, I’m determined.

I’m just glad when I’m here and ain’t nothing bothering me.

I must’ve thought there was pushing instead of singing.

I’m going to the top.

All I care about is the girl. She’s top priority.

I really didn’t feel like I was doing anything different from Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby or Dick Haymes or Jo Stafford–singers like that.

I guess what everyone wants more than anything else is to be loved. And to know that you loved me for my singing is too much for me. Forgive me if I don’t have all the words. Maybe I can sing it and you’ll understand.

I ain’t got no money either.