USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Born in Washington D.C. in 1899, Edward Kennedy Ellington, better known as “Duke, ” began playing piano as a child.

Detailed explanation-2: -2. How he got the nickname – Duke’s real name was Edward Kennedy Ellington, but the famous nickname came from his fine manners, often giving out the impression of a nobleman. The story goes that it was his mother who taught him about being respectful by surrounding him with kind and dignified women.

Detailed explanation-3: -He was a Black jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in the Shaw community of Washington, D.C. Ellington was from a middle-class family; he acquired the nickname Duke as a child for his manners, clothing, and personality.

Detailed explanation-4: -In the summer of 1914, while working as a soda jerk at the Poodle Dog Café, Ellington wrote his first composition, “Soda Fountain Rag” (also known as the “Poodle Dog Rag"). He created the piece by ear, as he had not yet learned to read and write music.

Detailed explanation-5: -Ellington died on May 24 1974. His last words were: ‘Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be remembered’. More than 12, 000 people attended his funeral.