More Than Glamour: The Enduring Friendship of Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald

Hollywood history is filled with glamorous friendships, but few carried the depth, mutual respect, and quiet defiance of the bond between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald. While Monroe remains one of cinema’s most iconic faces and Fitzgerald the “First Lady of Song,” their relationship was more than a meeting of fame—it was an alliance that helped break barriers in the entertainment industry and uplifted both women against the odds.

When Monroe was once asked to name her favorite singer, she didn’t hesitate. “Well, my very favourite person, and I love her as a person as well as a singer, I think she’s the greatest, and that’s Ella Fitzgerald.” Behind that admiration was a friendship rooted in shared struggles—unsuccessful first marriages, childhood trauma, and the determination to carve their own paths in male-dominated industries.

The two met in November 1954, when Monroe attended one of Fitzgerald’s performances in Los Angeles after spending hours listening to her records. While Fitzgerald’s talent was undeniable, she had ambitions that reached beyond the jazz clubs where she was already a star. She confided to Monroe that she wanted to perform in one of L.A.’s glamorous nightspots, specifically the famed Mocambo nightclub.

There was a catch: the club’s owner insisted Fitzgerald “lacked the glamour” to draw crowds, despite her talent. Monroe, leveraging her own celebrity in a way few stars dared at the time, stepped in with a proposal. If the club hired Fitzgerald, Monroe promised to sit front and center every night—and bring along other famous friends to ensure packed houses.

The deal was struck. Fitzgerald’s Mocambo shows were a resounding success, selling out night after night, proving Monroe’s faith in her friend was well placed. The singer’s run was even extended, marking a turning point in her career. Monroe’s gesture wasn’t just friendship—it was advocacy, helping to challenge the entertainment industry’s prejudices about race and marketability.

While their lives took different paths—Monroe battling addiction and living in the glare of constant public attention, Fitzgerald leading a more private, substance-free life—their connection endured. There were moments when Monroe’s struggles created distance, but the foundation of mutual respect and support remained strong until Monroe’s death at just 36.

Their story is more than a Hollywood anecdote; it’s a reminder of the transformative power of women supporting women. In a time when opportunities for women—especially women of color—were limited by systemic bias, Monroe’s influence and Fitzgerald’s brilliance combined to make history. The lesson they leave is timeless: solidarity can open doors that talent alone cannot, and friendship, when paired with courage, can change lives.