ella fitzgerald presidential medal of freedom.

The Friends of the Yonkers Public Library will present Queen of Jazz, a free, all-ages program with musical performances, a short film highlighting her life and a birthday cake decorated with her image.

Fitzgerald, who died in 1996, lived in Yonkers on School Street for part of her childhood in the 1920s.

In honor of that connection, there is a statue of Fitzgerald next to the Yonkers Station downtown.

By the early 1930s, she moved to Harlem after her mothers death and made her stage debut at one of the Apollo Theaters amateur nights in 1934 at the age of 17.

Although Fitzgerald represents a long-gone era unfamiliar to many of the children who frequent the Yonkers Public Library, the event organizers said they want to educate children and adults about Yonkers history.

We hope that we can teach and show them what an important figure she was, said Eric Schoen, president of the Friends of the Yonkers Public Library.

Schoen said many young people are only familiar with pop music stars from Yonkers like Mary J.

Blige or DMX. They think these are the only musicians from Yonkers, but there was an important jazz musician that came out of Yonkers, he said.

Recognition for her musical accomplishments include 14 Grammy Awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President George H.

W. Bush. The event runs from 4 p.m.

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Ella Fitzgerald Presidential Medal Of Freedom.