Duke Ellington - Pianist & Songwriter | Mini Bio | BIO

Duke Ellington was born April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C. A major figure in the history of jazz music, his career spanned more than half a century, during which time he composed thousands of songs for the stage, screen and contemporary songbook. He created one of the most distinctive ensemble sounds in Western music and continued to play what he called “American Music“ until shortly before his death in 1974. #Biography Subscribe for more Biography: Delve deeper into Biography on our site: Follow Biography for more surprising stories from fascinating lives: Facebook - Instagram - Twitter - captures the most gripping, surprising, and fascinating stories about famous people: The biggest break. The defining opportunity. The most shattering failure. The unexpected connection. The decision that changed everything. With over 7,000 biograp