Two Icons, One Powerful Bond
Let me tell you a story about two extraordinary women—Ella Fitzgerald, the legendary jazz singer known as the "First Lady of Song," and Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood's ultimate sex symbol. On the surface, they couldn't have been more different. But as it turns out, they shared a lot more than just fame and talent. Their friendship was deep, meaningful, and truly inspiring.
In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe sought out Ella Fitzgerald's friendship because she admired her deeply. Marilyn would often listen to Ella's music to help calm her nerves. "Ella is good for my tummy," Marilyn once said. That quote says so much about how much Marilyn respected and relied on Ella during stressful times. Both women lived in industries dominated by men, and they had to fight tooth and nail to make their voices heard. Marilyn loved Ella's artistry, and Ella respected Marilyn's strength and influence. It was a mutual admiration society if ever there was one.
How Marilyn Helped Ella Break Barriers
Marilyn wasn't just a fan of Ella's music; she actively supported her friend in ways that mattered. Back in the '50s, it wasn't easy for Ella to get booked at certain venues due to racial discrimination. Take the Moulin Rouge in Los Angeles, for example. When Ella faced obstacles there, Marilyn stepped in with her star power. She told the club owners, "If you book Ella for 10 nights, I'll bring 10 of the biggest Hollywood stars every single night." And guess what? She delivered. Thanks to Marilyn's intervention, Ella never struggled to book gigs at major nightclubs again.
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But Marilyn didn't stop there. She also stood up for Ella when it came to issues of segregation. At a concert in Denver in the mid-'50s, Ella was asked to enter through the kitchen instead of the main entrance. Marilyn had none of it. She declared, "She enters where I enter, or I don't enter!" And then, arm in arm, they walked through the front door together. That's Girl Power before we even had a name for it.
A Bond Built on Shared Struggles
Ella and Marilyn's friendship was built on more than just mutual respect. Both women endured traumatic childhoods that shaped who they were as adults. Ella was sexually abused as a teenager by her stepfather after her mother passed away. Meanwhile, Marilyn spent time in orphanages and foster care and faced her own harrowing experiences
