Ella Fitzgerald had both legs amputated below the knee because of complications with her diabetes, her spokeswoman said Monday.
"She's in really good shape and good spirits," spokeswoman Mary Jane Outwater said.Fitzgerald underwent the amputations last year, but the operations were not disclosed at the time. Asked why there was no announcement at the time, she said, "I really can't tell you. All I can tell you is that was done."
Fitzgerald, the "first lady of song," turns 76 on April 25. She is known for her improvisational "scat" vocals, and has recorded more than 250 albums.