MUSICIAN

Duke Ellington

1899 - 1974

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Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based in New York City from the mid-1920s and gained a national profile through his orchestra's appearances at the Cotton Club in Harlem. A master at writing miniatures for the three-minute 78 rpm recording format, Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than one thousand compositions; his extensive body of work is the largest recorded personal jazz legacy, and many of his pieces have become standards. He also recorded songs written by his bandsmen, such as Juan Tizol's "Caravan", which brought a Spanish tinge to big band jazz. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Duke Ellington is the 116th most popular musician (down from 61st in 2019), the 820th most popular biography from United States (down from 357th in 2019) and the 33rd most popular American Musician.

Duke Ellington is most famous for being a jazz composer and pianist. He was also a bandleader and arranger.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Duke Ellington ranks 116 out of 3,175. Before him are Sixto Rodriguez, Thomas Bangalter, Mariss Jansons, Quincy Jones, Till Lindemann, and Jascha Heifetz. After him are Robert Johnson, Krist Novoselic, King Oliver, David Guetta, Gary Moore, and Hans von Bülow.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1899, Duke Ellington ranks 29. Before him are Béla Guttmann, Georg von Békésy, Max Theiler, Suzanne Lenglen, Adnan Menderes, and Gustav Heinemann. After him are Bertil Ohlin, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, George Cukor, Fritz Albert Lipmann, Chang Myon, and Cevdet Sunay. Among people deceased in 1974, Duke Ellington ranks 25. Before him are David Oistrakh, Erich Kästner, Rudolf Dassler, Imre Lakatos, Miguel Ángel Asturias, and Darius Milhaud. After him are Jacob L. Moreno, Peng Dehuai, Otto Strasser, Satyendra Nath Bose, Lewis Strauss, and Zalman Shazar.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Duke Ellington ranks 820 out of 20,380. Before him are Dennis Ritchie (1941), Stephen Collins (1947), Walt Whitman Rostow (1916), Robert H. Goddard (1882), Telly Savalas (1922), and Clair Cameron Patterson (1922). After him are Robert Johnson (1911), Melvin Schwartz (1932), Brandon Lee (1965), Willis Carrier (1876), Anastacia (1968), and Alfred Hershey (1908).

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Duke Ellington ranks 33. Before him are Alice Cooper (1948), Lou Reed (1942), Ice-T (1958), Keith Jarrett (1945), Sixto Rodriguez (1942), and Quincy Jones (1933). After him are Robert Johnson (1911), Krist Novoselic (1965), King Oliver (1881), John Coltrane (1926), Lady Gaga (1986), and Cyndi Lauper (1953).

American born Musicians

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