Ella Fitzgerald Has Heart Bypass

Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was in stable condition today after open heart surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, hospital officials said. Fitzgerald, 68, who was admitted to Cedars-Sinai on Aug. 19 for tests, underwent bypass surgery Wednesday, medical center spokesman Ron Wise said.

Fitzgerald, called the “First Lady of Song” and known for her scat singing, was diagnosed in July as having congestive heart failure, a weakening of the heart. A spokeswoman for the singer said her concert engagements for the rest of 1986 have been canceled.