Ella Fitzgerald
Singer
February 10, 1992 Rose Bokar and I once drove to Chicago to hear Ella Fitzgerald at a jazz club on Rush Street. The place was packed and much too noisy for the recordings she was taping during the performance. Such a fantastic voice. You can not immagine. Of course, Ella was a jazz singer and probably the best we've ever had. Intonation, color, phrasing, name it. She had it all and beyond. I've never heard anyone sing more in tune than Ella Fitzgerald.
By mail we made a tenative appointment to sign the Tablecloth for my trip to the coast in early 1992. I rang the doorbell and the buttler told me she was not feeling too good that day and she needed a nap. Could I please come back after lunchtime. Beverly Buckmaster and I drove around the Beverly Hills area for a while and had coffee. At 2:00 I rang the doorbell again at the house and the buttler was smiling bigger this time as he ushered me into the house.
I didn't have to wait long before hearing a voice from Ella's maid, "give that to me and I'll have Ms. Fitzgerald sign it. She walked down the stairs from a walkway which lead across the living room area. That's when I saw Ella Fitzgerald standing there to receive the cloth from her maid. I had also given her a new pen to use and a card to sign. Ella did not look at all sick. In fact she looked fantastic standing on the balcony. I could see the maid holding the Tablecloth as Ella Fitzgerald signed her signature on it. I was in awe and quite nervous through this whole procedure. "I'm sorry you had to come back," Ella said.
"Think nothing of it, you sure don't look sick," I commented.
"I'm leaving for Dallas in the morning to do a concert there," she informed me.
"I'll be darned, I'm driving to Texas in a month from now," I replied. "I'm meeting with golfer Lee Trevino in San Antonio on March 14th. "Thanks for signing my Tablecloth Ms Fitzgerald."
"Thank you for asking me," she said smiling.
"Have a great concert in Dallas," I added as I turned to leave.
"Thank you," she answered.
I only wish I had had the guts to ask her to take a picture with me that day. Bev. was waiting in the car and had the camera ready. I was just afraid to ask. I knew she wasn't feeling good and I didn't want to impose. I often wish that I had. She had already sent me a great black and white autographed photo of herself that I'll always treasure.