Full Name
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington
Date of Birth and Death
Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., and he died on May 24, 1974, in New York, N.Y..
Early Life
Duke Ellington was born into a middle-class black family. His father was a butler in a wealthy household, and he is said to have sometimes worked at White House affairs. Ellington originally had ambitions of becoming a painter, but he became interested in music in his early teens and learned to play the piano. He began studying piano at the age of seven and earned the nickname “Duke” for his gentlemanly ways. Inspired by his job as a soda jerk, he wrote his first composition, “Soda Fountain Rag,” at the age of 15[2].
Career and Contributions
Duke Ellington was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader who was one of the originators of big-band jazz. He led his band for more than 50 years and composed thousands of scores over his career. He created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in Western music and continued to play what[2].
Ellington was primarily an instrumental composer, and most of his songs were originally written as instrumental pieces, with words tacked on at a later date. He was one of the most important creative forces in the music of the twentieth century. His influence on classical music, popular music, and jazz cannot be overstated[1].
Legacy
Duke Ellington’s career spanned more than half a century, and he continued to lead his band until shortly before his death in 1974. His sense of musical drama, his gift of melody, and his mastery of sonic textures, rhythms, and compositional forms translated his often subtle, often complex perceptions into a body of music unequaled in jazz history[5].
Sources
Citations: [1] https://www.songhall.org/profile/Duke_Ellington [2] https://www.biography.com/musicians/duke-ellington [3] https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/duke-ellington-about-duke-ellington/586/ [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Ellington [5] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Duke-Ellington