Who was Duke Ellington?
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is America’s greatest composer. Duke led an orchestra, played piano and composed over 2000 pieces of music. How did Duke get his nickname? Duke began his life as Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C.. He was nicknamed by a classmate who admired him. This royal nickname was appropriate for Duke because of his elegant and proud manner. Even as a child, Duke had fans. As a child, Duke disliked his piano lessons. Duke’s parents enrolled him in lessons when he was in grade school. He dreaded his lessons and preferred to play baseball instead. His parents insisted that Duke practice piano basics everyday. He grew bored with practicing the same tunes and quit his lessons. Duke didn’t become interested in learning piano again until he was a teenager. Duke Ellington was attracted to girls and they were attracted to piano players. He often joked that he learned to play the piano to attract girls. While washing dishes for his summer job, Duke met a waiter who inv
