Ella Jenkins (born August 6, 1924) is an American

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singer and actress. Dubbed "The First Lady of the Children's Folk Song" by the ''

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'', she has been a leading performer of

children's music Children's music or kids' music is music composed and performed for children. In European-influenced contexts this means music, usually songs, written specifically for a juvenile audience. The composers are usually adults. Children's music has hi ...

for over fifty years. Her album, ''Multicultural Children's Songs'' (1995), has long been the most popular

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

release. She has appeared on numerous children's television programs and in 2004, she received a

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...

Family and personal life

Jenkins was born in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

and grew up in predominantly lower-middle-class neighborhoods in the south side of Chicago. Although she received no formal musical training, she benefited from her rich musical surroundings. Her uncle Floyd Johnson introduced her to the harmonica and the blues of such renowned musicians as

T-Bone Walker Aaron Thibeaux "T-Bone" Walker (May 28, 1910 – March 16, 1975) was an American blues musician, composer, songwriter and bandleader, who was a pioneer and innovator of the jump blues, West Coast blues, and electric blues sounds. In 2018 ''Roll ...

Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

and

Big Bill Broonzy Big Bill Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley; June 26, 1903 – August 14, 1958) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s, when he played country music to mostly African American audiences. In the 1930s ...

. Her family frequently moved around the south side and, as she moved to different neighborhoods, she learned new children's rhythms, rhymes and games.Ella Jenkins, interview with the author, May 10, 2007 Gospel music became a part of her soundscape as neighborhood churches broadcast their services onto the street. She also enjoyed tap dancing lessons at the local theater and was able to go to the Regal Theater to see such performers as

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

, and

Peg Leg Bates Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates (October 11, 1907 – December 6, 1998) was an African-American entertainer from Fountain Inn, South Carolina, United States. Life and career Early life Peg Leg Bates was born Clayton Bates on October 10, 1907 in F ...

. Cab Calloway is the person who she credits with getting her interested in call and response singing. While attending Woodrow Wilson Junior College, she became interested in the music of other cultures through her Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican friends. In 1951, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Child Psychology and Recreation from

San Francisco State University San Francisco State University (commonly referred to as San Francisco State, SF State and SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers 118 different b ...

. Here, she picked up songs of the Jewish culture from her roommates. Upon graduating, she returned to Chicago where she began her career.

Career

In Chicago, Jenkins began writing songs for children while volunteering in recreation centers. She subsequently was hired as a Teenage Program Director for the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

in 1952. While working at the YWCA, she was invited to perform on the Chicago public television show, '' The Totem Club''. She was soon offered a regular job as the host of its Thursday program, which she entitled ''This is Rhythm''. She invited guests from diverse cultures to share their music's rhythms on her show. In 1956, Jenkins decided to become a full-time freelance musician, a vocation she has pursued for over 50 years. She began her career as a children's musician touring school assemblies in the United States, often sleeping in a different place each night and encountering racial discrimination. As she performed in more varied venues, she began to write music about her experiences. Later that year, a friend recommended that she bring a demo tape to

Moses Asch Moses Asch (December 2, 1905 – October 19, 1986) was an American recording engineer and record executive. He founded Asch Records, which then changed its name to Folkways Records when the label transitioned from 78 RPM recordings to LP records. ...

, the founder of

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

. Asch was receptive to her music and in 1957, her first album, ''Call-And-Response: Rhythmic Group Singing'', was released by Folkways. Since then, Folkways Records and, more recently,

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fou ...

have released 39 albums, including the popular '' You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song''. Her 1995 album ''Multicultural Children's Songs'' is the most popular Smithsonian Folkways release to date. She has not only been an important force in children's lives, but in the lives of parents and fellow music educators as well. She has participated in many conferences on music education, and has offered workshops for music educators, parents, and caregivers all over the world. As a performer and educator, Jenkins has traveled extensively, performing her songs on all seven continents (even Antarctica). As she travels, she not only shares her music and experiences but also learns about the cultures of the people she is visiting, taking with her musical traditions and languages that she then shares with her audiences. She has also made television appearances on shows including NBC's ''

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'', CNN's ''

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'', and

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programs such as ''

Barney & Friends ''Barney & Friends'' is an American children's television series targeted at young children aged 2–7, created by Sheryl Leach. The series premiered on PBS on April 6, 1992. The series features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorp ...

'', ''

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' debut ...

'', '' The Me Too Show'', '' Look at Me'', and in films shown on ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...

''. She performed at America's Reunion on the Mall in 1993, America's Millennium Celebration in 2000, and at Smithsonian's 150th Birthday Party on the Mall in Washington, DC in 1996. In collaboration with the

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

, she has acted as a U.S. delegate to Hong Kong, the People's Republic of China, and the former Soviet Union. As a recording artist, Jenkins has gained extensive recognition. Her recordings have received Parents' Choice awards and two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nominations in the category of Best Musical Album for Children. In 2004, she was recognized with a

As an educator

Jenkins' favorite people are children. She sees them as genuine, down to earth people who should be listened to and recognized as having much to offer. Fellow music educator Patricia Sheehan Campbell lauds her as "a pioneer in her early and continuing realization that children have something to sing about, that the essence of who they are may be expressed through song, and that much of what they need to know of their language, heritage, and current cultural concepts may be communicated to them through song." Through her songs, she hopes to develop greater intercultural understanding and rhythmic-consciousness, and to help people discover the joy of singing and communicating through active participation in songs. Jenkins' repertoire includes nursery rhymes, holiday songs, bilingual songs, African-American folk songs, international songs, rhythmic chants, and original songs. Drawing from cultures all over the world, she sings in many languages, exposing her audiences to diverse cultures and promoting greater cultural awareness. Through her style of

call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

singing, Jenkins promotes group participation. Found in cultures worldwide, from Greece to the Middle East to West Africa, call-and-response singing involves a leader or leaders singing a phrase and the rest of the participants commenting or responding with another phrase. Using this technique, she breaks the barrier between audience and performer, and turns everyone into a performer. By encouraging active participation, she promotes the development of a warm group feeling, cooperation among the participants, greater attentiveness, an enjoyment of singing, and a desire to sing. She also encourages children to lead songs, make up their own variations of songs, and experiment with fun and silly sounds. This allows children to think independently, develop leadership skills, and improvise, resulting in increased self-confidence. In helping children discover music and participate in its creation, Jenkins provides them with a new tool of communication that they can use and enjoy for the rest of their lives.

Awards

* Lifetime Achievement Award from the

American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

Foundation (First recipient in the field of Children's Music and the first woman selected for the honor) (1999) * Grammy Nomination for Best Musical Album for Children for ''Ella Jenkins and a Union of Friends'' (1999) * Award from the Music Educators National Conference "in appreciation of her support for music education and the National Association for Music Education" (2000) * Grammy Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2004) * Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from the

Erikson Institute Erikson Institute is a graduate school in child development in downtown Chicago, Illinois. It is named for the noted psychoanalyst and developmental psychologist, Erik Erikson. History and mission The Institute was founded in 1966 by four chil ...

(2004) * Inducted into the San Francisco State University Alumni Hall of Fame (2004) * Grammy Nomination for Best Musical Album for Children for ''Sharing Cultures with Ella Jenkins'' (2005) * Voted 2005 Chicagoan of the year by Chicago Magazine * Fellow Award in Music from

United States Artists United States Artists (USA) is a national arts funding organization based in Chicago. USA is dedicated to supporting living artists and cultural practitioners across the United States by granting unrestricted awards. Mission The organization' ...

(2009) * National Endowment for the Arts Grant, with Illinois Arts Council matching grant * Named Honorary Citizen of Louisville, KY, during The Year of the Child * National Academy of Recordings Arts and Sciences, Chicago Chapter, Governor's Award, contribution in children's recording and performance * Proclamation of Ella Jenkins Day (December 12) in Chicago, IL * American Academy of Children's Entertainment, Best Variety Performer Award * American Library Association Award * Fifth Star Award from the City of Chicago (2015) *

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

recipient (2017)

Discography

1950s and 1960s

*1957: ''Call-and-Response Rhythmic Group Singing'' (1990) Reissue of FW7638 from 1957. SFW45030 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1959: ''Adventures in Rhythm'' (1989) Reissue of FW7682 from 1959. SFW45007 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1960: ''African-American Folk Rhythms'' (1998) Reissue of ''Negro Folk Rhythms'' FW7654 from 1960. SFW45003 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1961: ''This-a-Way-That-a-Way'' (1989) Reissue of FW7652 from 1961. SFW45002 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1961: ''This is Rhythm'' (1994) Reissue of FW7652 from 1961. SFW45028 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1964: ''Rhythm & Game Songs for Little Ones'' (1991) Reissue of FW7680 from 1964. SFW45027 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1964: ''Songs and Rhythms From Near and Far'' (1997) Reissue of FW7655 from 1964. SFW45033 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1966: '' You'll Sing a Song and I'll Sing a Song'' (1989) Reissue of FW7664 from 1966. SFW45010 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1968: ''Play Your Instruments & Make a Pretty Sound'' (1994) Reissue of FW7665 from 1968. SFW45018 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1969: ''Counting Games & Rhythms for the Little Ones'' (1990) Reissue of FW7679 from 1969. SFW45029 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1969: ''A Long Time to Freedom'' (1992) Reissue of FW7754 from 1969. SFW45034 (LP, Cassette, CD).

1970s

*1970: ''Rhythms of Childhood'' (1989) Reissue of FW7653 from 1963. SFW45008 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1970: ''Seasons for Singing'' (1990) Reissue of FW7656 from 1970. SFW45031 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1970: ''A Long Time to Freedom'' (1992) Reissue of FW7754 from 1970. SFW45034 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1971: ''And One And Two & Other Songs for Pre-School and Primary Children'' (1990) Reissue of FW7544 from 1971. SFW45016 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1971: ''My Street Begins at My House'' (1989) Reissue of FW7543 from 1971. SFW45005 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1972: ''Little Johnny Brown'' (1990) Reissue FW7631 from 1972. SFW45026 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1973: ''This-A-Way That-A-Way'' (1973) Folkways FC 7546. (Vinyl LP, Cassette, CD) *1974: ''Nursery Rhymes: Rhyming & Remembering for Young Children & for Older Girls & Boys with Special Language Needs'' (1990) Reissue of FW7660 from 1974. SFW45019 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1974: ''Jambo and Other Call and Response Songs and Chants'' (1996) Reissue of FW7661 from 1974. SFW 45017 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1976: ''Growing Up With Ella Jenkins'' (1990) Reissue of FW7662 from 1976. SFW45032 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1977: ''Songs, Rhythms And Chants for the Dance'' (2000) Reissue of FW7000AB from 1977. SFW45004 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1979: ''Travellin' with Ella Jenkins: – A Bilingual Journey'' (1989) Reissue of FW7640 from 1979. SFW45009 (LP, Cassette, CD).

1980s

*1981: ''I Know the Colors of the Rainbow'' (1981) EA595 (CD). *1981: ''Looking Back and Looking Forward'' (1981) EA596 (CD). *1982: ''Early Early Childhood Songs'' (1996) Reissue of FW7630 from 1982. SFW45015 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1983: ''Hopping Around from Place to Place Vol. 1'' (1983) EA613 (CD). *1983: ''Hopping Around from Place to Place Vol. 2'' (1983) EA614 (CD). *1989: ''This-a-Way, This-a-Way" (1988) SFW45002 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1989: ''My Street Begins at my House'' (1989) SFW45005 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1989: ''Adventure in Rhythm'' (1989) SFW45007 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1989: ''Rhythm of Childhood'' (1989) SFW45008 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1989: ''You'll Sing a Song, I'll Sing a Song'' (1989) SFW45010 (LP, Cassette, CD).

1990s

*1990: ''We Are America's Children'' (1990) Reissue of FW7666. SFW45006 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1990: ''And One and Two'' (1990) SFW45016 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1990: ''Nursery Rhymes: Rhyming & Remembering for Young Children & for Older Girls & Boys with Special Language Needs'' (1990) SFW45019 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1990: ''Counting Games and Rhythms For the Little Ones'' (1990) SFW45029 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1990: ''Call and Response'' (1990) SFW45030 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1990: ''Seasons for Singing'' (1990) SFW45031 (Cassette, CD). *1991: ''Live at the Smithsonian'' (1991) SFW48001 (VHS, DVD). *1991: ''For the Family'' (1991) SFW48002 (VHS, DVD). *1991: ''Little Johnny Brown with Ella Jenkins and Girls and Boys from "Uptown" ( Chicago)'' (1991) SFW45026 (Cassette, CD). *1991: ''Rhythm and Game Songs for the Little Ones'' (1991) SFW45027 (Cassette, CD). *1992: ''Come Dance by the Ocean'' (1992) SFW45014 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1994: ''Play Your Instruments and Make a Pretty Sound'' (1994) SFW45018 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1994: ''This is Rhythm'' (1994) SFW45028 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1995: ''Multi-Cultural Children's Songs'' (1995) SFW45045 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1996: ''Early Early Childhood Songs'' (1996) SFW45015 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1996: ''Jambo and Other Call and Response Songs and Chants'' (1996) SFW45017 (LP, Cassette, CD). *1996: ''Holiday Times'' (1996) SFW45041 (Cassette, CD). *1996: ''Songs Children Love To Sing'' (1996) SFW45042 (Cassette, CD). *1997: ''Songs and Rhythms from Near and Far'' (1997) SFW45033 (Cassette, CD). *1999: ''Ella Jenkins and A Union of Friends Pulling Together'' (1999) SFW45046 (LP, Cassette, CD).

2000s and 2010s

*2000: ''Song Rhythms and Chants for the Dance with Ella Jenkins; Interviews with "Dance People"'' (2000) SFW45004 (Cassette, CD). *2003: ''Sharing Cultures With Ella Jenkins'' (2003) SFW45058 (CD). *2004: ''cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins'' (2004) SFW45059 (CD). *2011: ''A Life of Song'' (2011) SFW45067 (CD) *2013: ''Get Moving with Ella Jenkins'' (2013) SFW45073 (CD). *2014: ''123s and ABCs'' (2014) SFW45076 (CD) *2014: ''More Multicultural Children's Songs'' (2014) SFW45078 (CD) *2017: ''Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins and Friends'' (2017) (CD)

Filmography

*1991: ''Ella Jenkins Live at the Smithsonian'' (1991) SFW48001 (VHS, DVD). *1991: ''For the Family!'' (1991) SFW48002 (VHS, DVD). *2007: ''cELLAbration Live! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins'' (2007) SFW48007 (DVD).

References

External links

*
Ella Jenkins at Folkways Recordings

History Makers Biography

Ella Jenkins's oral history video excerpts
at The National Visionary Leadership Project
Ella Jenkins Interview – NAMM Oral History Library (2015)

Gayle Wald on Ella Jenkins, PMBiP, 29/11/22
"PMBiP" is "Popular Music Books in Progress". {{DEFAULTSORT:Jenkins, Ella 1924 births Living people African-American actresses African-American women singer-songwriters Musicians from St. Louis American actresses American children's musicians American folk singers African-American guitarists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners American music educators American women music educators Singer-songwriters from Missouri Guitarists from Missouri National Heritage Fellowship winners 20th-century American guitarists San Francisco State University alumni Educators from Missouri 20th-century American women guitarists 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women