An Unlikely Sisterhood: Marilyn Monroe & Ella Fitzgerald



Sometimes you run across a story that completely changes the way you thought about a person. I see Marilyn Monroe in a whole new light now. Read on to find out why...

Apparently in the 50s, a popular nightclub, Mocambo would not book Ella Fitzgerald because she was black. Fortunately for Ella, she had a powerful and unlikely benefactor,

“I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she would take a front table every night. She told him - and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status - that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman - a little ahead of her times. And she didn’t know it.” - Ella Fitzgerald

I love this story. It's so great to hear about a woman giving another woman a boost despite differences in race especially in showbiz.
I wonder how much of this happens today and we just don't know about it?

http://www.womanofcolour.com/2011/02/unlikely-sisterhood-marilyn-monrow-ella.html