Ella Louise Jenkins, also known as Ella Jenkins, born on August 6, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri, was an American singer-songwriter and centenarian. Growing up in Chicago, Jenkins developed an appreciation for various musical genres through her family and community. She began writing songs for children while volunteering at recreation centers and performing at local folk clubs. She hosted This is Rhythm, a television program on WTTW, and became one of the nation's first African-American television hosts. Jenkins released her debut album, Call-And-Response: Rhythmic Group Singing, in 1957 through Folkways Records. Throughout her career, she released numerous albums, including Rhythm And Game Songs For The Little Ones #2 (1964), This-A-Way, That-A-Way (1973), and Multicultural Children's Songs (1995). She appeared on various children's television programs and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Jenkins died on November 9, 2024, at the age of 100.
