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Ella Fitzgerald (drag queen)

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For the American jazz singer, see Ella Fitzgerald.
Donnell Robinson
D.C. drag performer Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald performs at Capital Pride in 2008.
Born
Donnell Robinson

c. 1955 (age 68–69)
Warrenton, Virginia
OccupationDrag queen
Years active1975-present

Ella Fitzgerald is the drag persona of Donnell Robinson (born c. 1955), an American drag queen based in Washington, D.C. Known as "the doyenne of D.C.'s drag scene," she hosted a long-running show at the drag club Ziegfeld's and is a mainstay of the city's annual Capital Pride.

Early life

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Donnell Robinson was born in the mid-1950s.[1][2] He grew up on a farm in the area of Warrenton, Virginia, where he was raised by his grandparents while his mother worked as a domestic worker in Fairfax, Virginia. His first foray into drag, before he was even aware of drag's existence, was portraying the Flip Wilson character Geraldine Jones at an eighth-grade talent show.[1][3]

After struggling at Fauquier High School while balancing schoolwork with farmwork and caring for his grandparents, he managed to graduate in 1974, though he was not able to attend college due to his family's financial situation.[1][4][5] A friend took him to the Pier 9 nightclub, where he watched a drag performance for the first time. He would go on to win his first drag competition there.[1]

Career

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Robinson moved to Arlington and began performing drag in D.C. in 1975. After initially taking the stage under the name Sharyn O'Brien, someone suggested that "you need an African American name. At your size, you should be Ella Fitzgerald," so Robinson began performing under that name.[1][3]

Ella Fitzgerald came to play a central role in the city's drag scene, described by the LGBTQ magazine Metro Weekly as "a local drag legend" and "the doyenne of D.C.’s drag scene," and by the Washington Post as "the doyenne of Washington drag queens."[1][3][6][7]

She was a key member of the Academy of Washington, a now-shuttered social club for drag performers, and won various awards from the organization before it closed in 2015.[1][3][8] At the Academy, she led the "Drag Daughters" house.[1]

She performed at such clubs as the Rogue, the Plus One, and the Other Side before moving to Ziegfeld's in 1980. There, she hosted the long-running Ladies of Illusion show on weekends until the nightclub's closure during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.[1][3][6][9] Fitzgerald, who created the show, served as director, emcee, and performer, and became one of the club's best-known acts, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Ziegfeld's."[1][10][11][12] She has also performed periodically at other clubs, such as Freddie's Beach Bar in Virginia, and is a mainstay of Capital Pride, D.C.'s annual LGBTQ pride parade.[4][11][13][14]

Beginning in the 1980s, Fitzgerald hosted fundraisers in response to the HIV/AIDs crisis, a cause she continues to support.[3][15]

Ella Fitzgerald at Capital Pride
  • Drag queen Ella Fitzgerald
    Ella Fitzgerald performs at Capital Pride in 1994.
  • Drag queen Ella Fitzgerald
    Fitzgerald at Capital Pride in 1998.
  • Drag queen Ella Fitzgerald
    Fitzgerald with a banana, a signature element of her Capital Pride performances, in 1994.
  • Drag queen Ella Fitzgerald
    Fitzgerald performs at Capital Pride in 2005.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rosenfeld, Megan (2001-08-02). "At Ziegfeld's, Queens for a Night". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  2. ^ DiGuglielmo, Joey (2019-06-07). "Letting it all hang out at Pride — did it help us in the long run?". Washington Blade. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Donnell Robinson/Ella Fitzgerald". Rainbow History Project Digital Collections. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  4. ^ a b Shulman, Randy (2004-06-09). "Ella Fitzgerald". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  5. ^ Chibbaro Jr, Lou (2023-06-08). "Drag legend Ella Fitzgerald returns to the stage for Capital Pride festival". Washington Blade. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  6. ^ a b Riley, John (2020-05-01). "Ziegfeld's/Secrets nightclub is permanently closed, owners confirm to Metro Weekly". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  7. ^ Rule, Doug (2017-10-26). "Taming the Beast: Halloween Drag Tips from the Experts". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  8. ^ Riley, John (2015-10-27). "The Academy of Washington closes". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  9. ^ McCue, Lori (2020-05-01). "Ziegfeld's/Secrets Will Close Permanently". DCist. Archived from the original on 2021-05-04. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  10. ^ Chibbaro, Lou Jr. (2020-05-01). "Ziegfeld's-Secrets 'closed for good' at current site". Washington Blade. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  11. ^ a b Rule, Doug (2012-12-20). "A Ziegfeld's Christmas". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  12. ^ Rule, Doug (2010-12-15). "Holiday Spirit". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  13. ^ Bezerra, Chord; Bugg, Sean; Rule, Doug (2003-06-11). "Weatherproof Pride". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  14. ^ DiGuglielmo, Joey (2015-06-03). "The business of performing at Pride". Washington Blade. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  15. ^ Bugg, Sean (2005-04-13). "The Last Inning". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
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