Timeline Friday 16 June 1939

Events on Friday 16 June 1939 1

• 1939 – 1942 Chick Webb dies -- Fitzgerald leads the band Chick Webb dies of tuberculosis of the spine on 16 June 1939, aged 30. At 22, Fitzgerald takes over the leadership of his orchestra -- an almost unprecedented responsibility for a young female singer. She leads Chick Webb and His Orchestra (renamed Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra) for three years, recording and touring. The experience gives her musical authority and organizational confidence that shapes her entire subsequent career. She dissolves the band in 1942 and begins her solo career.