The day the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, came to Cork

By the time Ella Fitzgerald came to perform at the Cork Jazz Festival in October 1980, she was the well-established and undisputed singing queen of the world jazz scene. Fitzgerald’s stint at Cork Opera House was a welcome boost for the then burgeoning festival, whose organisers shelled out a reported £16,000 for the star.

The singer, in the midst of a European tour, was on a tight and what must have been tiring schedule.

She had played in Newcastle in England the night before and more gigs were on the agenda as soon as she left Cork. But the 62-year-old still managed to squeeze two performances into her one day stay and, according to reviews, she did not disappoint.