It’s 1955, and Ella Fitzgerald and her band take a break between sets at the Houston Music Hall. In her dressing room, Ella and her assistant, Georgiana Henry, chat and drink coffee, while over in the corner, Dizzy Gillespie and Illinois Jacquet shoot a quick game of craps. The door suddenly bursts open and five plainclothes policemen rush in, guns drawn.
Producer and agent Norman Granz, a staunch integrationist and activist, faced them down. He followed a policeman into the bathroom, suspecting he might be planting drugs. “I’m watching you,” said Granz. The cop shoved his gun into Granz’s stomach and growled, “I oughta kill you.”
The vice squad made their arrests and the entire troupe was taken to the police station, where reporters and photographers were already waiting. They were charged with illegal gambling, paid a fine, and were eventually released. Throughout the booking process, and much to their chagrin, police officers approached them for autographs. They were driven back to the Music Hall and performed their second set, to thunderous applause from the entire audience.
The story made headlines worldwide, skewering the Houston police for a blatantly racist, pre-planned publicity stunt to stop a desegregated show. The band’s subsequent gigs sold out across the country. And in a final twist, they returned to Houston a year later and played to a standing-room-only, integrated audience.
Podcast (soundtrack): Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS