Duke Ellington - Bronx, NY
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 40° 53.096 W 073° 52.299
18T E 595061 N 4526597
Grave of jazz pianist, composer and big band leader, Duke Ellington.
Waymark Code: WM17BAV
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 01/18/2023
Views: 0
“It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing…”
So begins the jazz classic composed by Duke Ellington (lyrics by Irving Mills) in 1931. It was among the over one thousand compositions that Ellington wrote or collaborated on during his career as a bandleader which lasted from 1923 until his death in 1975. Many of his compositions are now considered jazz classics. Besides music for his band, Ellington also wrote scores for movies and Broadway shows.
Born Edward Kennedy Ellington in 1899 in Washington DC, ‘Duke’ received his nickname while he was still a child and kept it throughout his lifetime. Both of his parents played the piano, so perhaps it was inevitable that young Duke would take up the instrument. His early piano influences included such notables as Doc Perry, Sticky Mack, Blind Johnny and Eubie Blake. All during his career as a bandleader, he conducted his orchestra from the seat of his piano.
Duke Ellington received innumerable awards and accolades during his lifetime. These included over a dozen Grammy Awards, a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, a posthumous Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many, many others. He also appeared on both a U.S. commemorative postage stamp and a U.S. commemorative quarter. Duke Ellington died in 1975 from complications due to lung cancer. He was laid to rest in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
(Source: wikipedia.org)
Description:
See Long Description above.
Date of birth: 04/29/1899
Date of death: 05/24/1974
Area of notoriety: Entertainment
Marker Type: Horizontal Marker
Setting: Outdoor
Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Fee required?: No
Web site: [Web Link]
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