On April 29, 1889, Duke Ellington, an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, was born in Washington, D.C. Over a career spanning 50 years, he composed around 3,000 songs and performed worldwide.
Born Edward Kennedy Ellington, he began piano at age 7, and he crafted his inaugural composition, “Soda Fountain Rag,” at 15. Through the ’30s and ’40s, Ellington’s career flourished, marked by hits like “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing” (1931) and “Sophisticated Lady” (1932), among others.
His accolades include the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the Legion of Honor from France in 1973.
Ellington passed away in 1974 at the age of 75.
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