Fitzgerald was born on February 16, 1914, at White Point, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, a remote fishing village on the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island. His parents were of Irish-French descent. Both his father and older brother, Bob Leonard Fitzgerald, played the violin, and he began to take an interest in playing at age eight.
Fitzgerald was born in White Point, Victoria County, Nova Scotia, a remote fishing village on Cape Breton Island's northeastern tip, on February 16, 1914. His parents were of Irish-French descent. Both his father and older brother, Bob Leonard Fitzgerald, played the violin, and he began to learn at age eight.