Child singer Ella Jenkins has died at the age of 100, according to her publicist.
The legendary Chicago singer was most famous for songs like Will You Sing a Song and Will You Sing a Song, Did You Feed My Cow? and Miss Mary Mack.
She was known as the ‘First Lady of Children’s Music’, with a career that spanned more than 60 years and earned her a Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2004.
‘First Lady of Children’s Music Ella Jenkins passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 9, 2024 at Harbors at the Admiral at the Lake in Chicago. He was 100 years old,” reads a statement from his spokesperson.
‘Known for her deceptively simple “call and response” chants and songs, Jenkins revolutionized children’s music in the United States.’
Child singer Ella Jenkins has died at the age of 100, according to her publicist. She was known as the ‘First Lady of Children’s Music’
Ella Jenkins and Carole King during the 46th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2004
Jenkins’ publicist said she died “after a long illness.”
The singer is credited with transforming the children’s musical genre, giving it global reach.
Their style, which earned numerous accolades over the years, rarely deviated from their 1957 debut album, ‘Call and Response: Rhythmic Group Singing.’
In that work, he channeled the calls of African American slaves. It encouraged audience participation and allowed him to build a relationship with his young listeners.
Jenkins never married and leaves no known immediate relatives.