See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Randy Sparks Story.
Life Lesson #66 – Credibility is Valuable.
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 in Washington, D.C. He didn’t much like the name his parents had given him, so he told people to call him “Duke.” Even as a child, Duke Ellington was a piano player, and he learned all the basics of counting out the music very strictly, but something inside of him always wanted to change it up a little and make it more interesting!
When Duke was a little older, he heard of a new kind of music called Ragtime. His fingers took to it naturally, and playing the piano became the thing he wanted to do the most! Soon, he was playing his own music for people who came from all around to hear him. The Duke hired other musicians to play his music with him. They called themselves “Duke Ellington and His Orchestra.” He also began writing music that has become very famous in the world of jazz. In fact, the Duke wrote at least 1000 pieces of music for orchestras, choirs, stage plays, and for movies.
He also did something very special for his own people of African heritage. He created some music that he called Black, Brown, and Beige and people loved it. They knew they were listening to great American music by a great American musician. Some people called him “King of the Keys” and some people called him “Piano Prince,” but Edward Kennedy Ellington just wanted to be called “The Duke.”
– Jim Lord