THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410260175
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 194 lines
``A lot of young people today don't know who Ella Fitzgerald is, and that's too bad. She's a national treasure.''
- Sidney C. Evans Jr.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT: Sidney C. Evans Jr. is Ella Fitzgerald's ambassador to the world.
The 33-year-old longshoreman, who recently moved to Norfolk after living in Great Bridge for two years, heads the international Ella Fitzgerald Fan Club, publishes its official newsletter out of his 44th Street apartment and revels in all things Ella.
He's such an expert that WFOS-FM 88.7, the radio station of the Chesapeake Public School system, has invited him to be a guest on a three-hour radio tribute to Fitzgerald this Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m.
In short, Evans' hobby is ellamental. If it has to do with Ella Fitzgerald, Evans has either heard about it, heard it, owns it or has seen it.
He owns hundreds of compact discs, vinyl records and tapes, numerous books about her life and times and scores of video tapes including Abbott and Costello's ``Ride 'em Cowboy,'' which featured a teenage Fitzgerald singing one of her big hits of the day.
There is only one officially sanctioned Ella Fitzgerald Music Fan Club in the world, and Evans is in charge of it.
When he's not stevedoring at the Norfolk International Terminals, he's listening to any one of his more than 100 Fitzgerald compact discs, or reading about her in some out-of-town newspaper clipping sent in by a club member or preparing the next Ella newsletter.
Evans' modest apartment, a stone's throw away from Old Dominion University and the terminals where he works, is Ella-Central, the club's headquarters.
The walls are adorned with smart-looking collages Evans created from hundreds of photographs taken from his vast Fitzgerald files. Fitzgerald's versatile voice always flows from his stereo system. Evans' favorite wearing apparel is a white T-shirt he fashioned with a logo of Fitzgerald holding a microphone and the words ``Ella Fitzgerald: Vocal Perfection'' beneath the design.
Evans' kitchen counter doesn't hold food, appliances or eating utensils, but stacks of fan club newsletters ready to be mailed out.
Ella is his love. Her voice is his passion.
``I was 16 when I first saw and heard her on a television variety show,'' the soft-spoken Evans said. ``I liked the popular music of the day, you know, groups like the Commodores and Earth, Wind & Fire, but her unique voice caught my attention. I was hooked. I knew about her from school, but I never really knew what she could do. She can imitate every instrument with her voice. Her voice is different from other singers, but God gave her something extra.''
Now more than 140 vinyl records and more than 100 compact discs later, his passion for the acclaimed jazz singer born in Newport News shows no sign of abating.
``I have listened to her every day since I was 16,'' he said. ``Sure, I listen to other singers, but she's the tip-top.
``People ask me if I have an obsession for her. Well, I let them think what they want. But when someone asks me that question I usually make them a tape and tell them if they don't like it, I'll buy the tape back. I have never bought one back. Everywhere I go I try to convert people.''
Once Evans was in contact with Cynthia LaBarr of Pablo Records, a specialty jazz label started by Fitzgerald's manager, Norman Granz. He said whenever he called her up he heard Billie Holiday singing in the background.
``She was her favorite singer, and she never really listened to much Ella,'' Evans said. ``Then I started talking to her. Well, the next time I called, I heard Ella in the background, not Billie.''
About a year ago, Evans noticed that there wasn't even one official Ella Fitzgerald fan club, just a few scattered music appreciation societies, nothing more.
So Evans started the club with the permission and sanction of Fitzgerald's management and lawyers.
``I stay in contact with her legal and promotional people at least two to three times a week,'' he said.
He is the president and the club's only working member, volunteering most of his free time to spread the good word about her recordings, concerts and life to the club's 200 international members.
``I have members all over the country, in Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, France - all over,'' he said with pride as the first lady of jazz sang Antonio Carlos Jobim's ``The Girl from Ipanema'' in the background. ``The youngest fan is 14, and the oldest is a person in their 80s.''
Evans began the newsletter last year and publishes six times a year: January/February/March, a special April birthday edition, May/June/July, a special summer August/September edition, October/November and a special holiday December issue. In between, he occasionally puts out ``Ella-grams'' to keep fans posted on new discs, books, articles or performing plans.
``I would have started the newsletter earlier, but I needed clearance from her management,'' he said.
Evans is the publication's editor, layout man, artistic designer, reporter and circulation chief. Articles and art are obtained from a vast collection of photographs, drawings and portraits, posters, playbills, reviews, newspaper and magazine articles and stories taken from his own personal 300-page Fitzgerald scrapbook.
``Whenever I travel to another city, I go to the library and get any and every story or photo about her I can,'' he said. ``And fans from all over the world send me things, too. I have boxes of articles and posters. I read through them all to pick what will go in each newsletter. Some of it I even write myself.''
Evans throws in the latest Ella news and even creates special puzzles and competitions in which fans can win free T-shirts or discs, which he pays for out of his own pocket. He pays tribute to any recently deceased musician, arranger or bandleader who's ever worked with Fitzgerald. He even honors her fans.
A recent issue, for example, featured memorials to guitarist Joe Pass and composer Henry Mancini, who both died this year. And the latest issue pays tribute to one Jan Van de Ruit, who wasn't a musician or famous composer or even arranger, but just a loyal fan from Amsterdam whom Evans befriended through the mail.
``We wrote to each other every week,'' Evans said. ``I sent him things, and he always sent me articles he spotted in European newspapers. He was a true fan, who loved her voice as much as I do. He will be missed.''
Evans said Van de Ruit and all the others in the fan club learned about the organization through ads he places in Jazz Times magazine. He's also gained new members through his computer, word-of-mouth and networking jazz fans.
The newsletter is mailed to all club members. Domestic and foreign libraries even request copies of the publication.
Evans said the club and newsletter duties take up a lot of time. It usually takes him a couple of months' work for each issue.
``I love doing it,'' he said. ``I want every newsletter to be as perfect as I can make it. Her management tells me she gets it and reads every issue.''
Evans said he's seen Fitzgerald in concert at West Palm Beach, at the 1990 Hampton Jazz Festival and once in Detroit, a highlight in his fan club career.
``I got to meet her backstage,'' he said. ``When I finally met her, I was drenched in sweat and almost speechless. She was very gracious and very quiet. She doesn't say a lot. In fact I had to hold up most of the conversation.''
Evans said the 76-year-old Fitzgerald is taking ``a big break from the stage'' due to health problems.
Parade magazine reported last week that she had both legs amputated last year because of complications from diabetes, cataract surgery in 1971 and a quintuple coronary bypass in 1986. She may never give another performance.
``But you can never tell with Ella,'' Evans said. ``She's taken big breaks before and her spirit is still high. She's the best thing that ever happened to a song.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
WILD ABOUT ELLA
[Color Photo]
Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Sidney C. Evans has decorated the walls of his modest apartment with
collages of Ella Fitzgerald that he created from the hundreds of
photographs of the first lady of jazz that he has accumulated.
Staff photos by STEVE EARLEY
When he's not stevedoring at Norfolk International Terminals, Sidney
Evans is listening to any one of his more than 100 Ella Fitzgerald
compact discs.
THE FAN CLUB
Anyone who's a jazz fan, loves great singing or thinks Ella
Fitzgerald is tops may want to join the Ella Fitzgerald Music Fan
Club.
Memberships are available by writing to Sidney C. Evans Jr., P.O.
Box 1461, Chesapeake, Va., 23327.
Dues are $5 a year, which includes six newsletters, maybe a few
Ella-grams along with T-shirt, book and compact disc giveways
throughout the year.
ESSENTIAL ELLA
Ella Fitzgerald's long and historic career began in 1935 as a
member of Chick Webb's Orchestra. Since then she made hundreds of
recordings revered by fans the world over. For someone with no Ella
albums at all, Sidney C. Evans Jr. offers these 10 top recordings,
all available on compact disk:
``Mack the Knife: Ella In Berlin,'' Verve.
``The Irving Berlin Songbook,'' Verve.
``Ella In Rome: The Birthday Concert,'' Verve.
``The Best Is Yet To Come,'' Pablo.
``The 1966 Stockholm Concert with Duke Ellington,'' Verve.
``Ella Returns to Berlin,'' Verve.
``The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbook,'' Verve.
``First Lady of Song'' (three-CD set), Verve.
``All That Jazz,'' Pablo.
``Dream Dancing,'' Pablo.
These recordings only scratch the surface of her vocal art, Evans
said. ``There are others just as good,'' he added.
ELLA ON THE AIR
Sidney C. Evans Jr., right, will join host Dennis McCurdy on
Sunday at 4:05 p.m. for a three-hour WFOS-FM 88.7 tribute to the
talent and music of Ella Fitzgerald.
The show will feature her work with Chick Webb, her legendary
Decca and Verve recordings and her latest work with the Pablo jazz
label.
Call the station at 547-1036 for more information.
by CNB