Commemorative Stamp for Honorary Member Ella Fitzgerald Unveiled
Int'l President McKinzie attends unveiling ceremony for 2007's first U.S. postage stamp
International President praises Fitzgerald for embodying AKA's ideal
Int'l President McKinzie attends unveiling ceremony for 2007's first U.S. postage stamp
International President Barbara A. McKinzie was among a bevy of notables on hand when Honorary Member and "First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), became the 30th honoree in the popular Black Heritage commemorative stamp series issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
Before a gathering that included music legends, postal officials, family members and admirers, the Postal Service commemorated the new 39-cent stamp during a first-day-of-issue ceremony held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The event took place January 10, when the stamp went on sale nationwide. The stamp image is a portrait based on a photograph taken circa 1956 that captures the joy and excitement that Fitzgerald brought to music.
Joined by a delegation of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, McKinzie praised the Postal Service for giving life to this legend by issuing this stamp. "Ella Fitzgerald was an authentic trailblazer whose spirit and essence mirrored the ideals of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Alpha Kappa Alpha is honored and humbled to be a part of this soul-stirring tribute to our Honorary Member."
The ceremony, which was marked by pageantry and reverence, was attended by Fitzgerald’s son, Ray Brown, Jr., and Katherine Brown, executive director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Brown expressed gratitude for the Postal Service's gesture.
Serving as Mistress of Ceremonies was internationally renowned song stylist, Nancy Wilson. Others in attendance were Phoebe Jacobs, executive vice president of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc. and long-time friend of Fitzgerald; Jennifer Sanon, vocalist; and Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, pastor of New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church.
Fitzgerald was widely known as "The First Lady of Song." Her extraordinary vocal range and flexibility, combined with her gift for pitch, rhythmic sense and flawless diction, made her a favorite of fans, songwriters and other singers. Over the years, she won 13 Grammy Awards and many other honors, including the National Medal of Arts, presented to her in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan.
She was one of five artists awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 1979. In 1989, the Society of Singers created an award for lifetime achievement, called it the "Ella," and made her its first recipient. In 2005, Jazz at Lincoln Center inducted Fitzgerald into its Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame. Fitzgerald continued to perform up until a few years before her death.