Duke Ellington American Singer Born 1899 in Washington
Duke Ellington · pianist and composer · American
Known for
Biography
Duke Ellington was an American singer born on 29 April 1899 in Washington. He died on 24 May 1974, aged 75. The recorded cause of death is lung cancer. He is known as a former member of Duke Ellington and his Washingtonians.
Early life
Duke Ellington was educated at Armstrong High School.
Career
He also appears as a member of Duke Ellington Orchestra and The Oscar Pettiford Quartet. The records show 107 albums and one single released between 1943 and 2004. The first title in the list is Ellingtonia, Vol. One (1943); the latest is The Jaywalker (2004). Listed genres include jazz and swing. His instruments include piano. Releases appeared through Columbia Records. Louis Armstrong appears in two of his listed titles, including Cabin in the Sky (1943) and Birth of the Blues (1941).
His 10 screen credits include Verdensberømtheder i København (1939) and Birth of the Blues (1941). Notable work listed for him includes It Don't Mean a Thing, Solitude and Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me).
Recognition
In 1999, he won an award at the Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards. He also won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1966) and a Grammy Trustees Award (1968). Duke Ellington also earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score in 1962 for Paris Blues. Awards come to 11 wins and one nomination in total.
Personal life
Marriages on record are to Edna Thompson (1918 to 1967, widowed). He was the father of Mercer Ellington.
Groups and bands
- Duke Ellington and his Washingtonians
- Duke Ellington Orchestra
- The Oscar Pettiford Quartet
Discography
108 releases| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Jaywalker | Album |
| 2003 | Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band | Album |
| 2002 | Duke Ellington at the Alhambra | Album |
| 2000 | Duke Ellington: Complete Columbia and RCA Victor Sessions | Album |
| 1995 | Live at the Whitney | Album |
| 1991 | Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions 1957 & 1962 | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions New York & Chicago, 1965, 1966 & 1971 | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions New York, 1968 | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, San Francisco, Chicago, New York | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956 | Album |
| 1987 | Studio Sessions, New York 1962 | Album |
| 1987 | The Private Collection Volume 1 – Studio Sessions, Chicago 1956 | Album |
| 1987 | The Suites, New York 1968 & 1970 | Album |
| 1986 | The Blanton–Webster Band | Album |
Show all 108 releases
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | The Intimacy of the Blues | Album |
| 1985 | Happy Reunion | Album |
| 1982 | The Girl's Suite and The Perfume Suite | Album |
| 1979 | Unknown Session | Album |
| 1979 | Up in Duke's Workshop | Album |
| 1978 | Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live | Album |
| 1977 | The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1944 | Album |
| 1977 | The Carnegie Hall Concerts: December 1947 | Album |
| 1977 | The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1943 | Album |
| 1977 | The Carnegie Hall Concerts: January 1946 | Album |
| 1977 | The Intimate Ellington | Album |
| 1976 | Duke Ellington's Jazz Violin Session | Album |
| 1976 | The Ellington Suites | Album |
| 1974 | Duke's Big 4 | Album |
| 1974 | The Pianist | Album |
| 1974 | This One's for Blanton! | Album |
| 1973 | It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing | Album |
| 1973 | The Great Paris Concert | Album |
| 1972 | Latin American Suite | Album |
| 1971 | The Afro-Eurasian Eclipse | Album |
| 1971 | Togo Brava Suite | Album |
| 1970 | New Orleans Suite | Album |
| 1970 | Orchestral Works | Album |
| 1968 | Francis A. & Edward K. | Album |
| 1968 | Second Sacred Concert | Album |
| 1967 | Ella & Duke at the Cote D'Azur | Album |
| 1967 | Soul Call | Album |
| 1966 | Serenade to Sweden | Album |
| 1965 | Concert in the Virgin Islands | Album |
| 1965 | Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins | Album |
| 1965 | Ella at Duke's Place | Album |
| 1965 | Ellington '65 | Album |
| 1965 | Ellington '66 | Album |
| 1963 | Afro-Bossa | Album |
| 1963 | Duke Ellington & John Coltrane | Album |
| 1963 | Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins | Album |
| 1963 | Money Jungle | Album |
| 1963 | My People | Album |
| 1963 | Recollections of the Big Band Era | Album |
| 1963 | Studio Sessions New York 1963 | Album |
| 1963 | The Symphonic Ellington | Album |
| 1962 | All American in Jazz | Album |
| 1962 | Featuring Paul Gonsalves | Album |
| 1962 | Midnight in Paris | Album |
| 1961 | First Time! The Count Meets the Duke | Album |
| 1961 | Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington: The Great Summit/Complete Sessions | Album |
| 1961 | Piano in the Foreground | Album |
| 1961 | The Great Summit | Album |
| 1960 | Blues in Orbit | Album |
| 1960 | Festival Session | Album |
| 1960 | Piano in the Background | Album |
| 1960 | Swinging Suites by Edward E. and Edward G. | Album |
| 1959 | Anatomy of a Murder | Album |
| 1959 | Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues | Album |
| 1959 | Jazz Party | Album |
| 1959 | Live at the Blue Note | Album |
| 1959 | Side by Side | Album |
| 1958 | Black, Brown and Beige | Album |
| 1958 | Duke Ellington at the Bal Masque | Album |
| 1958 | Ellington Indigos | Album |
| 1958 | Newport 1958 | Album |
| 1958 | The Cosmic Scene | Album |
| 1957 | Such Sweet Thunder | Album |
| 1956 | A Drum Is a Woman | Album |
| 1956 | Duke Ellington and the Buck Clayton All-Stars at Newport | Album |
| 1956 | Duke Ellington Presents... | Album |
| 1956 | Ellington at Newport | Album |
| 1956 | Historically Speaking | Album |
| 1956 | The Complete Porgy and Bess | Album |
| 1955 | Ellington '55 | Album |
| 1955 | Ellington Showcase | Album |
| 1954 | Dance to the Duke! | Album |
| 1953 | Premiered by Ellington | Album |
| 1953 | The Duke Plays Ellington | Album |
| 1952 | Ellington Uptown | Album |
| 1951 | Masterpieces by Ellington | Album |
| 1950 | Great Times! | Album |
| 1948 | Liberian Suite | Album |
| 1947 | Duke Ellington Plays the Blues | Album |
| 1947 | Ellington Special | Album |
| 1946 | Black, Brown and Beige | Album |
| 1944 | Ellingtonia, Vol. Two | Album |
| 1943 | Ellingtonia, Vol. One | Album |
| 1943 | Harlem Jazz, 1930 | Album |
| 70th Birthday Concert | Album | |
| All Star Road Band | Album | |
| All Star Road Band Volume 2 | Album | |
| Dance Concerts, California 1958 | Album | |
| Dance Dates, California 1958 | Album | |
| Eastbourne Performance | Album | |
| Hot Summer Dance | Album | |
| Jazz at the Plaza Vol. II | Album | |
| Prelude to a Kiss | Single |
Awards and nominations
11 won, 1 nominated| Year | Award | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards | Won | |
| 1972 | Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album | New Orleans Suite | Won |
| 1971 | honorary doctor of the Berklee College of Music | Won | |
| 1971 | Songwriters Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 1969 | Presidential Medal of Freedom | Won | |
| 1968 | Grammy Trustees Award | Won | |
| 1966 | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| 1959 | Spingarn Medal | Won | |
| 1957 | German Film Award for best original music | Jonas | Won |
| Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences | Won | ||
| star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Won | ||
| 1962 | Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score | Paris Blues | Nominated |
Filmography
12 credits| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Black Wings | Film | |
| 1959 | Anatomy of a Murder | Film | |
| 1943 | Cabin in the Sky | Film | |
| 1943 | Upbeat in Music | Film | |
| 1942 | Jam Session | Writer | Film |
| 1941 | Birth of the Blues | Film | |
| 1939 | Verdensberømtheder i København | Film | |
| 1935 | Symphony in Black | Film | |
| 1934 | Belle of the Nineties | Film | |
| 1934 | Murder at the Vanities | Film | |
| 1929 | Black and Tan | Film | |
| PopStory | TV series |
Duke Ellington Photos
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Photo: Bk1949 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Joop van Bilsen for Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: United States Steel Hour · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Jack de Nijs for Anefo · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: The Library of Congress · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: Gordon Parks, Farm Security Administration · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: The Library of Congress · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons -
Photo: The Library of Congress · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Frequently asked questions
How old was Duke Ellington at the time of death?
Duke Ellington died on 24 May 1974 at the age of 75. He was born on 29 April 1899.
What was Duke Ellington’s cause of death?
According to Wikidata, Duke Ellington died on 24 May 1974; the recorded cause of death is lung cancer.
What is Duke Ellington known for?
Duke Ellington was known as a former member of Duke Ellington and his Washingtonians.
What is Duke Ellington’s nationality?
Duke Ellington was American, born in Washington.
Who was Duke Ellington married to?
Duke Ellington’s marriages on record are to Edna Thompson (1918 to 1967).
Has Duke Ellington won any awards?
Yes. 11 awards are on record, including Pulitzer Prize Special Citations and Awards (1999).
Sources
- Wikidata (Q4030), accessed October 2026
- Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
Last checked by the Wiki of Celebs editorial team
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