After some crowdsourcing (and photo research), we have identified this performance photo (found in a box of unprocessed university photographs) to be of Ella Fitzgerald!

The image date is approximately form the late 1980s - to early 1990s and was taken by Loyola’s beloved University Photographer, Harold Baquet.

Ella needs no introduction. “The First Lady of Song” debuted in 1934 at the Apollo theater, and in 1958, and made history as the first African American woman to win a Grammy Award (and would go on to win 13 more). She recorded over 200 albums and sold over 40 million records. Fitzgerald accolades include the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the last years of her life, she started the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation in order to fulfill her desires to use the fruits of her success to help people of all races, cultures and beliefs.

Now, let’s enjoy this notorious rendition of HOW HIGH THE MOON from her album Live in Berlin. A choice cut showcasing Ella’s amazing vocals, scatting, interpolation, and song interpretation.