Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 in Newport News, VA, the daughter of unwed parents William Fitzgerald and Temperance Henry, who would soon split. When Ella was about five years old her mother, and her mothers’ then boyfriend, Joseph Da Silva, moved to Yonkers, NY. Growing up in an ever-changing home, teenage Fitzgerald turned to dancing and bible study, and music for support. She drew influence from Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby, her female influences included the Boswell sisters. When Fitzgerald was only fifteen, her mother passed away of injuries sustained from a car accident. She would later move in with her aunt in New York City after a tumultuous two years with her stepfather, who allegedly abused her. In late 1934, Fitzgerald