25 Songs for 25 Years, no. 20

We got to see Ella at the Hollywood Bowl about a year before she passed away. She put on a great show, despite being obviously frail; her voice was still strong, but what really struck me was how gracious she was. She seemed genuinely surprised that anyone would show up to see her; she thanked the audience over and over for coming, and just seemed like the sweetest little lady ever.

After she passed away, it turned out that the people I worked for were friends with the attorney handling Ella's estate; most of her things had gone to an auction at Christie's or Sotheby's or some such, and a lot of the ordinary household stuff was going to be sold at a yard sale. (I know, right? A yard sale in Beverly Hills?) I made mention of the fact that Terri loves Ella, and toward the end of the week, the boss came in carrying a bag for her; a cute vintage '50s style sundress in a blue check pattern. It had been in Ella's closet. Now it's in Terri's.

Here's another song that ended up in a Valentine's card.

Someone To Watch Over Me.