Ella Jenkins was born on August 6,1924 and is an American folk singer and actress.
17 Facts About Ella Jenkins
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Ella Jenkins has appeared on numerous children's television programs and in 2004, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Ella Jenkins enjoyed tap dancing lessons at the local theater and was able to go to the Regal Theater to see such performers as Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and Peg Leg Bates.
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In Chicago, Ella Jenkins began writing songs for children while volunteering in recreation centers.
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Ella Jenkins subsequently was hired as a Teenage Program Director for the YWCA in 1952.
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Ella Jenkins was offered a regular job as the host of its Thursday program, which she entitled This is Rhythm.
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Ella Jenkins invited guests from diverse cultures to share their music's rhythms on her show.
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In 1956, Ella Jenkins decided to become a full-time freelance musician, a vocation she has pursued for over 50 years.
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Ella Jenkins began her career as a children's musician touring school assemblies in the United States, often sleeping in a different place each night and encountering racial discrimination.
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Ella Jenkins has not only been an important force in children's lives, but in the lives of parents and fellow music educators as well.
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Ella Jenkins has participated in many conferences on music education, and has offered workshops for music educators, parents, and caregivers all over the world.
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Ella Jenkins performed at America's Reunion on the Mall in 1993, America's Millennium Celebration in 2000, and at Smithsonian's 150th Birthday Party on the Mall in Washington, DC in 1996.
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Ella Jenkins's recordings have received Parents' Choice awards and two Grammy Award nominations in the category of Best Musical Album for Children.
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Ella Jenkins sees them as genuine, down to earth people who should be listened to and recognized as having much to offer.
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Ella Jenkins' repertoire includes nursery rhymes, holiday songs, bilingual songs, African-American folk songs, international songs, rhythmic chants, and original songs.
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Ella Jenkins encourages children to lead songs, make up their own variations of songs, and experiment with fun and silly sounds.
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In helping children discover music and participate in its creation, Ella Jenkins provides them with a new tool of communication that they can use and enjoy for the rest of their lives.