Ella Fitzgerald and Jazz Legends Arrested in 1955 Houston Concert Over Integrated Audience

HOUSTON – Jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald, alongside Dizzy Gillespie and Illinois Jacquet, was arrested in October 1955 in Houston, Texas, following a performance for an integrated audience. The arrests, officially made on "gambling" charges, were widely perceived as a racially motivated act by local authorities against the backdrop of the era's strict segregation laws. The incident occurred during a "Jazz at the Philharmonic" (JATP) concert, a touring series known for its commitment to integrated performances.

The concert's producer and Fitzgerald's manager, Norman Granz, was a staunch civil rights advocate who actively sought to defy segregation. Prior to the Houston Music Hall performance, Granz insisted on a non-segregation clause in the contract and personally removed "White" and "Negro" signs from restrooms. He also refused to pre-sell tickets, aiming to prevent any attempts to section off parts of the venue for specific racial groups, ensuring a truly integrated experience for attendees.

During an intermission, Houston's vice squad stormed Fitzgerald's dressing room, arresting her, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Fitzgerald's personal assistant Georgiana Henry, and Granz. The official pretext for the arrests was a craps game being played by some musicians backstage, though Fitzgerald herself was reportedly only drinking coffee. Despite the charges, some officers at the police station reportedly asked Fitzgerald for her autograph, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the arrests.

The arrests garnered national attention, underscoring the challenges faced by Black artists performing in the segregated South. A year later, the same ensemble returned to Houston and performed for an integrated audience without any police interference, signaling a subtle shift in local enforcement. Fitzgerald later spoke out about the frustrations of racial discrimination, stating, "It makes you feel so bad to think we can't go down through certain parts of the South and give a concert like we do overseas, and have everybody just come to hear the music and enjoy the music because of the prejudice thing that's going on."