Edward kennedy "Duke" EllingtonWhile many people may have known him for his music, Edward Ellington was more than just a musician. Born in 1899 to the parents of James and Daisy Ellington on April 29th, Edward grew up in the turn of the century music. Growing up in Washington D.C. allowed Ellington to be exposed to many new types of music as a child. Ragtime just getting its start giving way to modern jazz, Duke, as he came to be known by his friends for his manner, was introduced to music by his parents who were both pianists, however they did not teach him how to play as he took his first piano lesson from Marietta Clinkscales. While he had a great set up for being musically active, he never took the lessons seriously, paying more attention to baseball as a child. After getting a job as a soda jerk, Ellington started to listen to the ragtime music of the time, and in 1914 he wrote his first composition, "Soda Fountain Rag". After writing his first composition he started listening to the local ragtime players and started to imitate the sound on the piano. Now taking his piano lessons more seriously and learning to read sheet music, Ellington decided that it was time for him to strike out on his own and started to play gigs throughout Washington. After playing many gigs he began to meet many talented musicians and was offered an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute at the age of 17. Working as a sign painter Ellington started to put together groups and he met drummer Sonny Greer who encouraged Ellington to follow his passion for music. And that's just what Ellington did, he began using his job as a sign painter to help his music career. Duke would paint advertisements for large parties and would ask the customers if they had any music entertainments planned for these gatherings, if they did not, Duke would offer them his bands services.
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Getting a grip on the local entertainment business was a good start for Ellington, but when his Sonny was asked to become part of the Wilber Sweatman Orchestra they decided as a band to move to New York. This is when Duke got his big break in the music business becoming a big part of the Harlem Renaissance. Eventually the band left Sweatman's Orchestra to strike out on their own and they hit their break in 1923 when they got a gig playing at the high class Exclusive Club in Harlem. Adding new members to the band, including Bubber Miley, they named themselves "The Washingtonians". Duke's piano skills have been honed into it's own style by now and there are many people who are thrilled with what his band has produced. With their ever changing member status they changed the name of the band to "Duke Ellington and his Kentucky Club Orchestra". In 1927 Ellington makes an agreement with Irving Mills to publish Ellington's tunes, giving Mills a 45% of the revenue. Ellington went on to continue to write many compositions up until his death on May 24th in 1974 of lung cancer and pneumonia. His last word were "Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered.".
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