Edward Kennedy Ellington played an important role in the Harlem Renaissance by opening doors to new styles of music and began to break down racial barriers in his works. Also, his character was defined through the music he played and created. He experienced personal loss when the war ended, since inflation directed funds towards bigger musicians, such as Frank Sinatra.
Ellington was born April 29, 1899 in Washington, DC. At age 7, he began studying piano and was nicknamed “Duke” because of his ‘gentlemanly ways’. His first job was a soda jerk, which inspired his first composition, Soda Fountain Rag, at age 15. He began to professionally play ragtime at age 17. At age 19, he married Edna Thompson, his high school sweetheart. Soon after the marriage, she had their only child, Mercer Kennedy Ellington. Duke Ellington died on May 24, 1974 of lung cancer and pneumonia. His last words were, “Music is how I live, why I live, and how I will be remembered.”
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In the 1920’s, he performed in nightclubs on Broadway as the leader of a sextet, which in time grew to be a 10-piece ensemble. Duke sought out musicians who played with unique style, such as Bubber Miley, Joe Nanton, Cootie Williams, Rex Stewart, and Johnny Hodges. His fame rose in the 1940’s after composing masterworks, such as Cotton Tail, Ko-Ko, It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing, and many more. Many of his hits were sung by Ivie Anderson. His sense of musical drama made him stand out. Performing at all these nightclubs, composing different pieces of music, and being around many different musicians helped to shape his character. Music allows for expression of the soul without using words, and I feel like that helped Ellington become the person he