Music, News

Ella Jenkins, Beloved Children’s Music Pioneer, Dies at 100

Clay Cane
November 15, 2024

In this Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 photo, children's songwriter and performer Ella Jenkins poses for a portrait two days before her 90th birthday in Chicago. Jenkins, who has never given birth, has through her music, as much experience dealing with young children as any grandmother. And she continues to produce music for her favored audience, including her 40th album titled “More Multicultural Children’s Songs from Ella Jenkins” being released this month. She’s been dubbed "The First Lady of Children’s Music," an honorific she humbly acknowledges. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

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Ella Jenkins, the celebrated musician who brought children’s songs like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” to life, passed away at 100 on Nov. 9. Her death was confirmed by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, where she was a pioneering artist.

This Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014 photo taken in Chicago shows the CD cover to the 40th album of sing-along songs for children titled “More Multicultural Children’s Songs from Ella Jenkins,” released later that month. Now entering her 90th year, Jenkins, who’s never given birth, has through her music, as much experience dealing with young children as any grandmother. And she continues to produce music for her favored audience. She’s been dubbed “The First Lady of Children’s Music,” an honorific she humbly acknowledges. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Born in St. Louis in 1924 and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Jenkins grew up surrounded by gospel, blues, and the lively music of the Regal Theater. Influenced by Cab Calloway, she developed a call-and-response style to engage children in learning through song.

After graduating from San Francisco State University, Jenkins used music as a teaching tool in Chicago community centers, releasing her debut album Call-And-Response: Rhythmic Group Singing in 1957. Her legacy endures in songs like “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song,” preserved in the Library of Congress.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane