Ella Jenkins | |
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Born | St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | August 6, 1924
Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Genres | Folk, children's music |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instruments | Ukulele, harmonica |
Years active | 1956–present |
Labels | Folkways Records Smithsonian Folkways |
Website | www |
Ella Jenkins (born August 6, 1924) is an American singer-songwriter. Called "The First Lady of the Children's Folk Song", she has been a leading performer of folk and children's music.[1][2] Her album, Multicultural Children's Songs (1995), has long been the most popular Smithsonian Folkways release. She has appeared on numerous children's television programs and in 2004, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.[3][4] According to culture writer Mark Guarino, "across her 67-year career, Jenkins firmly established the genre of children’s music as a serious endeavor — not just for artists to pursue but also for the recording industry to embrace and promote."[5]