Adam's Honors English 9 Blog: Duke Ellington

Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 in Washington D.C. where he grew up with a family who encouraged him to learn about the fine arts.
Ellington began to perform professionally at the age of 17 and he first started playing in New York City.
Over time, Ellington became one of the greatest jazz composers America had ever seen up to his date and he was also a band leader.
Ellington had a love for jazz music and almost all of his works became best-sellers, and he achieved many outstanding awards along the way.
Ellington received 13 Grammy Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, and even the President's Gold Medal in 1966 marking his outstanding progress in America.
Ellington composed over 3000 songs during his lifetime that depicted the African American life on a much larger scale with more emotions and passion for black people.
Ellington also played over 20,000 performances in countries around the world like in Europe, South America, and even in the Middle East.
The songs that Ellington wrote had so much meaning to what the African American life really was about and his songs touched all of his audience.
Some of Ellington's best known songs are "Sophisticated Lady", "Mood Indigo", and "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing."
In 1966, Ellington received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and then the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969.
Ellington died on May 24, 1974 from lung cancer and pneumonia, but his great jazz music is admired by many people even living in today's society.