DUKE ELLINGTON FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW
I am the Duke; the Duke of jazz that is. I have earned it. I have won thirteen Grammy's. I was the first jazz musician to be elected as a member of the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm. I have been honored with the Legion of Honor by the French government. And by the end of my fifty year career, I have performed over 20,000 times. All these accomplishments and many more that I am so proud of; but they have not come easy. I had to work for them, and so my story begins. I am sure Daisy Kennedy Ellington and James Edward Ellington, my parents, remember this date better than I do. April 29, 1899. The turn of the century, the day I was born. I was born Edward Kennedy Ellington; I received the name "Duke," from a childhood friend. He loved my proper manners, bearing, and the way that I dressed. I was born in Washington, D.C. hence the name of my orchestra, the Washingtonians, but we will get into that later. I started playing the piano at seven, but I was not that interested then. Other aspects of life were on the top of my priorities, I wanted to be a baseball player
He is considered by many to be America's greatest composer, bandleader, and recording artist. But my greatest influences were James P. However, I still had the heart and passion for the craft. I succumbed to Lung cancer in New York City May 24, 1974. I played at venues such as the Exclusive Club, Connie's Inn, Hollywood Club, Ciro's, Plantation Club, and most importantly, the Cotton Club. His development is considered to be the most spectacular in the history of music. Not because the going got tough, but because I wanted to pursue bigger and better things. I moved out of my parent's home and bought my own. I started playing at clubs and cafes in the Washington area. I also became my own booking agent for my group; that way we were able to pay at private society balls and embassy parties. " I never received an education that was academically oriented. I married Edna Thompson and on March 11, 1919, y daughter, Mercer Kennedy Ellington was born. It was there that I made my first recording and renamed my band the Washingtonians. My band and I have played everywhere from New York to New Delhi, Chicago to Cairo, and Los Angeles to London.
Common topics in this essay:
Washington DC,
Cotton Club,
Duke Ellington,
York City,
Kennedy Ellington,
Training School,
Duke Serenaders,
Oliver Perry,
Honor French,
Edward Ellington,
kennedy ellington,
york city,
started playing,
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