Ella Fitzgerald’s Most Iconic Beauty Moments – Essence

Ella Fitzgerald was a woman affectioned by many names: The “First Lady of Song”, “Queen of Jazz”, and “Lady Ella”. Rising to fame with the Chick Webb Orchestra, her voice was an instrument heard all over the country, and especially throughout the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. While she passed 30 years ago at the age of 79 in her Beverly Hills home, her heavenly influence is still remembered even today. Just look at last year’s Met Gala which honored Black Dandyism, the iconic era her beauty defined.

At a Harlem night club in 1940, for example, her hair was parted into a pixie cut with slick finger waves. That style made a long-time impression on beauty, trending 30 years later. Then, there’s her red lipstick. In one portrait, Fitzgerald is seen in a lipstick so bold it stands out even in a black-and-white photo and against two lacquered pigtail buns. Her coifs were undeniably dandy, full of flips, dips, and set in place with sheen finishes, like on the Dinah Shore Chevy Show in 1959.

Often paired with jeweled earrings, her grayscale portraits found color on the cover of Fitzgerald’s album Brighten the Corner, released in August 1967. There, her hair was brown, bendy, and set with hairspray, all paired with a bright red lip and etched in brows. While her hair and lipstick commanded attention, her lashes were just as much a sight to see. In one portrait session, her curled lashes almost reached her eyebrows. In another, they were lined with dark liner which made them stand out even more. By the 5th Annual American Music Awards in 1978, her hair was roller set and lips traded in red for neutral brown which was the perfect embodiment of her timeless beauty.

Ahead, see how the First Lady of Song’s beauty has evolved over the years in honor of her heavenly birthday.