You’ve undoubtedly heard of American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, the First Lady of Song, but you likely don’t know much about her early life. My guest this week aims to change all that. Diane Richards is an author, playwright, singer, producer, and the Executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild, which launched and supported Dr. Maya Angelou’s writing career, Diane’s novel “Ella” is a fictionalized biography spanning two years of Ella’s life, from her mother’s death in 1932 to her breakout performance at the Apollo Theater in 1934.
Diane, herself, is a talented dancer and singer, performing at Carnegie Hall and singing backup for Whitney Houston. Her lyricism pours through the pages, as Ella falls from one unbelievable tragedy to another, an ode to the tenacity, resilience, and talent of Ella Fitzgerald as powerful as any gospel.
https://www.diane-richards.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thedianerichards/
https://twitter.com/DianeRichards_
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