The name Ella Jenkins may not jump out to you — but your preschool teacher knew her well, and her music likely formed the soundtrack of your early days.
Jenkins, born in St. Louis and raised on the South Side of Chicago, spent nearly seven decades writing and recording music for young ears. Working primarily with what is now the Smithsonian Folkways label, she released a whopping 39 albums.
She passed away in her Chicago residence on Saturday, at the age of 100.
She drew on her experiences within folk music and the Civil Rights Movement to expertly weave a global worldview geared toward children. The messages she passed forward in her music were consistently multicultural, environmentally conscious and collaborative. Her final recordings often featured call-and-response sections with the kids sitting cross-legged below her.
Her voice, pen, and presence are behind dozens of classic tracks, such as You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song, as well as popular renditions of Miss Mary Mack and Wade in the Water.
A regular on kids’ television, she made frequent appearances on Sesame Street, Barney and Friends, and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Odds are you’ve sung her lyrics or hummed her melodies to your kids, if you have them, or as a child yourself.
Her songs have landed everywhere from the Alvin Ailey stage to the Library of Congress. Her recognition spans multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards — from the Grammys in 2004 and from ASCAP in 1999 — as well as the NEA National Heritage Fellowship in 2017.
Above all, Jenkins enriched the hearts and minds of millions of kids just learning how to listen carefully, express themselves honestly, and care deeply for one another — a legacy that her life’s work will carry on for generations to come.
