I went to see Cavril Payne and Carmen Bradford with the CJO tonight but wasn't going to write about it. Carmen Bradford said that this is the first time she ever told this story. (Yeah. Right.)

Carmen was appearing at Carnegie Hall with the Count Basie Orchestra, which was backing up guest singer Ella Fitzgerald. Ella was in her 60s at this time and suffered from stage fright all of her life. Ella had just bought some new high-heel shoes for the concert and asked Bradford, "Do you think they'll like me?" Bradford couldn't believe she was hearing this.

So Ella enters the stage on cue with the Basie band already in place. But as she went to grab the mic, her shoes went out from under her, her dress flew up over her head, exposing her girdle, and she landed on her booty. Bradford was amazed that Ella kept singing as she fell and as she was lying on the stage with the dress over her face. Bradford said Ella never missed a note.

So she said that she'll always remember that as the night that Ella sang her buns off.