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Carlo Muscat Quintet at the Malta Jazz Festival in 2020. Photo by Elisa von Brockdorff. Photo by Elisa von Brockdorff . .

10 of the most Famous Jazz Singers

Jazz music has been described as rhythmic, emotional, free, and smooth. The music style developed in the United States early on in the 20th century in the heart of the diverse city of New Orleans. Since then, music lovers have been blessed to experience the soulful, artful, and oftentimes improvised tunes from the likes of singers like Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, and Dean Martin, to name a few.

Jazz is not just a style of music. Jazz is a music that can shape our character by giving us courage, prepare us to improvise, innovate, give others an equal voice, and listen. Jazz education is important for young and old minds alike. Playing and even listening to jazz can help one develop deep listening skills. Jazz music begs its audience to listen.  To fully appreciate jazz music the listeners, need to pay attention. Let’s look at 10 of the most famous Jazz Singers.

1. Ella Fitzgerald

Photo by Riksarkivet.

Ella Fitzgerald is truly one of the greats. I mean she has been introduced as “The First Lady of Song!鈥�. She is one of the most popular female jazz singers in the country, Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy awards and sold more than 40 million albums in her lifetime.

Not only did she have incredible solo success, but she worked alongside some of the best in the business, including Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, and Frank Sinatra. Although Fitzgerald came from humble Virginia beginnings, she was recording her first of over 200 albums by the age of 21 and topping the charts shortly after.

2. Frank Sinatra

Even those who know little about jazz know the name Frank Sinatra. Born in December of 1915, Sinatra was the child of immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey. As a child, he loved to perform, participating in the glee club and singing at local nightclubs.

It鈥檚 said that his inspiration to sing came from another great jazz singer Bing Crosby. Sinatra gained exposure through the radio and began recording in the 30s. He led a successful solo career encompassing big band and jazz hits.

Later, he formed the famous Rat Pack and began his acting career. In total, his career spanned over 50 years and left us with a lifetime of music and productions to enjoy forever.

3. Billie Holiday

Photo by Unknown Author. .

Billie Holiday, less formally known as Lady Day, was a famous American jazz and swing music singer. Many jazz enthusiasts consider her the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, but her life didn鈥檛 begin that way.

Holiday had a rough childhood that landed her in a facility for troubled African American girls. As a young adult, she moved to New York City and worked in a house of prostitution for a while. But after she began singing in local clubs, Holiday was discovered by a producer and started recording vocals. The rest is history!

4. Louis Armstrong

Jazz singer Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists of jazz music. His five-decade career included playing the cornet, singing catchy jazz hits, and appearing in Hollywood films. Armstrong had a rough start in life.

He dropped out of school to work and purchase his first cornet. After being arrested and sent to the Colored Waif鈥檚 Home for Boys, he learned how to play and later led the band.

In 1924, Armstrong鈥檚 wife encouraged him to make it on his own and he did. He founded Louis Armstrong and His Five, later the Hot Seven, spearheaded jazz improvisation, and expanded his impressive feats with incredible vocals.

5. Nina Simone

Nina Simome. Photo by Roland Godefroy. .

Nina Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon. Though they didn鈥檛 have much, she was able to learn the piano at a young age, which led to her love of music. After attending the Juilliard School of Music, she began playing and singing jazz in a nightclub.

Her family didn鈥檛 approve of the music she played, so she disguised herself with the name Nina Simone. It was this humble beginning that launched her whole career. Simone鈥檚 career entailed 40+ albums that exuded not only jazz stylings, but R&B, blues, soul, classical, and gospel.

6. Nat King Cole

Nathaniel Adams Coles was a professional singer, jazz pianist, and actor 鈥� and much more than a Christmas vocalist. Cole was born in Alabama and learned music from his mother. After moving to Chicago, he dropped out of high school to pursue music. His career only blossomed from there. He spent time with the King Cole Swingsters and later recorded his first hit 鈥淪weet Lorraine.鈥�

7. Sarah Vaughan

Photo by James Kriegsmann.

Sarah Vaughan went by many names, a couple being 鈥淪assy鈥� and 鈥淭he Divine One.鈥� This American jazz singer began studying music when she was seven years old and grew up singing in church. But what truly launched Vaughan鈥檚 career was her victory at Harlem鈥檚 Apollo Theater talent competition.

She became a successful solo artist, encompassing sounds of jazz and pop. Vaughan went on to win four Grammy awards during her lifetime, one of which was the Lifetime Achievement Award.

8. Chet Baker

Chet Baker was both a jazz vocalist and a trumpeter. This dually talented artist had a significant impact on the cool jazz subgenre, which landed him the nickname 鈥淧rince of Cool.鈥� It comes as no surprise that Baker was a musical success, as he was raised in a musical household.

His mother was a pianist and his father were a professional guitarist. Baker鈥檚 musical talent earned him an induction into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame, the DownBeat Magazine Jazz Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame 鈥� among many other accolades.

9. Carmen McRae

Carmen McRae was born in Harlem, New York City, and began studying music and the piano at the age of eight. This influential American jazz singer got her professional start by playing piano in an NYC club in her teens and twenties. By the time the 1950s rolled around, McRae had scored her first record contract.

From there, the accolades piled on as she was named best new female vocalist of 1954. McRae was inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. She also recorded alongside Louis Armstrong, made several film appearances, and performed at jazz festivals.

10. Kurt Elling

Photo by Simon Bierwald.Simon Bierwald. Wikimedia Commons.

Kurt Elling is a current American jazz singer and songwriter born in Chicago. He began his music career like many other artists: in church. During his career, he has been nominated for ten Grammy awards 鈥� two of which he won and one as recently as 2021.