Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the 1920s and 1930s. She is widely considered one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, and her vocal range and improvisational skills were unparalleled. She was also known for her scat singing, which she used to great effect in her recordings. Her most famous songs include 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket, ' 'Dream a Little Dream of Me, ' and 'Mack the Knife.' She won 13 Grammy Awards during her career and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996.