Ella Jenkins

Ella Jenkins
Born (1924-08-06) August 6, 1924 (age 100)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
OriginChicago, Illinois, U.S.
GenresFolk, children's music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsUkulele, harmonica
Years active1956–present
LabelsFolkways Records
Smithsonian Folkways
Websitewww.ellajenkins.com

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]

  1. ^ "Ella Jenkins". Ellajenkins.com. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  2. ^ Graeber, Laurel (2024-08-05). "How 100-Year-Old Ella Jenkins Revolutionized Children's Music". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
  3. ^ "City of Chicago : Fifth Star Bios". chicago.gov. 2015. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  4. ^ Abramowitz, Sophie (2024-08-06). "A Century of Ella Jenkins: Tributes to the First Lady of Children's Music". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-08.
  5. ^ Guarino, Mark (2024-08-01). "Chicago is celebrating the 100th birthday of Ella Jenkins, musician and architect of a social movement". WBEZ. Retrieved 2024-08-04.