After the death of her mother, Fitzgeralds social life began to decline while she went into a deep depression. She was constantly skipping school, getting bad grades in her classes, and she began to be affiliated with mafia activities. Due to her newly troubled behavior, Fitzgerald was sent to a reform school at fifteen years old. At the reform school she was physically and emotionally abused by the workers and teachers. Eventually, Fitzgerald couldn't handle the abuse anymore and she left the reform school. This dark era of her life inspired Fitzgerald to focus on herself while she tried to start a life of her own.
In 1934, a seventeen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald was singing and performing on the streets of Harlem to make money. This wasn't a very effective way to make a living, so she looked for more opportunities. She eventually found and entered an amateur contest at Harlem's Apollo Theatre. She ended up winning the contest by singing and she also got a $25 prize. Though she won the contest and got the money, she was not awarded the full prize due to her “untidy” appearance.