Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz with 21 Activities
1929 Stock market crashes the Great Depression begins Ellington composes music for and appears in his first film Black and on 1931 lington's first hit record Mood 1933 Duke ington and His Orchestra go on their first tour of Europe India jo all Over one million copies 1936 Franklin Delano Roosevel reelected president The height of the wing and big band are it December 7 Joponese attack Pearl Harbor the United States World War II senters 1949 Duke Ellington and His Orchestra makes their debut at Carnegie Hal 194S first atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan World War I ends 1950 Television becomes affordable for American families 19sit The Supreme Court rules in Brown v Board of Education 1956 Duke Ellington and His Orchestra triumph at the Newport Festival that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional 1957 Ellington meets Queen Elizabeth in Great Britain Duke Jazz resa Duke Ellington and His Orchestra go on their first tour of the Mideast sponsored by the U S State Department 1964 The U S Civil Rights Act is passed 1963 presents the first of his Sacred Concerts in San Francisco Ellington 1968 Dr Martin Luther King Jr is assassinated 1969 Aaronaut Neil Armstrong is the first person to walk on the moon Ellington is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom 1974 May 14 Edward Kennedy Dealington dies in New York City Tem Centennial of dispositions birth celebrated worldwide
CATCHING A TUNE There have been so many extraordinary and inexplicable circumstances in my life I have always seemed to encounter the right people the right place at the right time and doing the right thing to give me the kind of instruction and guidance I needed DUKE ELLINGTON o you know anyone whose skill or talent sud denly took you by surprise Like your best friend from elementary school He was funny and liked to have a good time but he never got terrific grades or stood out at sports or anything And the next thing you knew there he was at 15 playing the piano and being a big hit at parties and even making some money at it And to top it off he was a really good piano
Basement Publicity photo of Duke Ellington then a young band leader and pianist Courtesy David Hajdu Well that was true of Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington who did not show much interest or talent in music as a child Yet years later he became one of the greatest jazz composers and bandleaders who ever lived Edward Kennedy Ellington was born April 29 1899 in Washington D C He was the second child of James Edward and Daisy Ellington Edward's younger sister Ruth wasn t born until he was 16 so
