Ella Fitzgerald performs amateur night at Apollo Theater

Sunday, November 21

The 325th day of the year 40 days left

Today in history

On the evening of November 21, 1934, a young and gangly would-be dancer took to the stage of Harlem’s Apollo Theater to participate in a harrowing tradition known as Amateur Night. Finding herself onstage as a result of pure chance after her name was drawn out of a hat, the aspiring dancer spontaneously decided to turn singer…