Ella Fitzgerald mural to be installed in Virginia hometown

Legendary jazz star Ella Fitzgerald is set to be immortalised in a huge mural in her native Virginia.
The singer was born in the town of Newport News and on Tuesday (25Apr17), local officials unveiled a smaller version of the artwork to mark the centenary of her birth.
The full mural, which will measure 13 feet (3.96 metres) tall and 12 feet (3.66 metres) wide, will be installed on Thursday (27Apr17), but it is designed to be a mobile piece, which authorities plan to have moved to various locations across the town every few weeks to keep Ella’s legacy alive following her death in 1996.
Meanwhile, bosses at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles have also celebrated Ella’s memory by launching a special exhibit featuring rare memorabilia.
Ella at 100: Celebrating the Artistry of Ella Fitzgerald opened on Tuesday, when the music icon would have turned 100, and features items like her sheet music, her dresses, and her very first Grammy Award, the first presented to a female African-American artist.
It’s not the only salute to Ella on the special centenary – officials at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. recently added a photograph of the jazz star to their collection. The portrait, which went on display on 13 April (17), features the singer with fellow musicians Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown, and Milt Jackson, and was taken back in 1974 by William Gottlieb. The image will remain on view until 14 May (17).