Chicago singer and songwriter Ella Jenkins, known as the "First Lady of Children's Music," has died at the age of 100. Jenkins, a children's folk singer whose career spanned more than 60 years, died peacefully on Saturday at the senior facility where she lived in Uptown.

The African American folk singer and songwriter had decades-long career as a children's entertainer, and made a global impact through her interactive performances.

Ella Jenkins entertained young audiences for over 60 years and showed how music can be a powerful source of learning and connection.

Ella Jenkins, the legendary singer-songwriter known as the “First Lady of Children’s Music,” has died. John Smith, associate director of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the label that released all 39 of her albums,

Ella Jenkins, the prolific, multigenerational musical pioneer who became known as the "First Lady of Children's Music," died Saturday. She was 100. The lifetime achievement Grammy Award winner, who recorded primarily for children,

Ella Jenkins, the Chicago-based singer and songwriter renowned as the “First Lady of Children’s Music,” has passed away at the age of 100. Jenkins died peacefully on Saturday at the senior living facility in Uptown where she lived.