Duke Ellington is considered to be one of the greatest figures in the history of American music. Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington was born in Washington D.C. on April 29, 1899. His parents were James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington. They raised Duke as an only child, until his sister, Ruth, was born when Duke was sixteen years old. Duke, even as a teenager, had a great talent for music. In the beginning of his musical life, …showed first 75 words of 1709 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1709 total…style of Duke's band. The band was not known like it used to be and that could be the point in time I suppose you could say that the band broke up. Duke Ellington's career spanned the whole history of the birth of the music called jazz. And nowhere in that glorious history is there a man who had more love for music, more respect for his art, than the man they called the Duke.