Duke Ellington's Legacy

Legend, stand out, a man who set the bar in the jazz world. Duke Ellington wasn’t the normal everyday hit artist with just one or two big hits we hear on the radio and call great, he was simply a legend. This man was the real deal in the jazz world; he was one of the main guys who put jazz on the map. Duke Ellington didn’t just become great though; just like everyone else, he had to start from the bottom. He had to make his own story. He had to separate himself from others and make a name for himself. This is the story of how Duke Ellington made himself a hit, and how he impacted the jazz world and made a name for himself.

Duke’s legendary began when he was a young child. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born April 29th, 1899 in Washington

D.C. His father and mother were James Edward Ellington and Daisy (Kennedy) Ellington. Duke was raised in his grandparents’ home; the entire family basically lived there. They all shared the same house. They lived in the time when there were plenty of racial issues going on throughout America. In matter of fact, Duke’s own mother, Daisy, was the daughter of an African slave. The Ellingtons were strong people with strong hearts. They worked very hard and tried to make things the best they could for their family. The Ellingtons, like every African American family didn’t make much money, so they obviously tried to put themselves in the best situation they possibly could in to provide for their family. Duke’s parents James and Daisy loved music; they were both pianists. They began performing at times to help put some money on the table to help of course provide for their family. Young Edward at the age of 7 began taking piano classes. He earned his nickname “Duke” for his gentlemanly ways. At the age of 15, he wrote his first song called “Soda Fountain Rag”. He named it “Soda Fountain Rag” after the job he had at the time as a soda jerk. According to Google, a soda jerk was a person who operated the soda fountain in a drugstore. “Despite being awarded an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Ellington followed his passion for ragtime and began to play professionally at age 17.” Ellington, like many musicians, started out small. He performed at nightclubs on Broadway as a bandleader. Very rarely do performers become instantly famous. It took some little time for Duke to really make a name for himself. It wasn’t until 1940 that Duke became a huge hit. He came out with some pretty popular songs, such as "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing," "Sophisticated Lady," and "Prelude to a Kiss".
Duke wasn’t a typical artist with some decent songs. Duke had something that made him standout. It was all in his style of music which had different types of melodies, rhythms, and beats. He had a totally different way of jazz music that clearly made him one of the greats. He really had an absolute love for jazz music. He wrote over three thousand songs throughout his entire jazz career. In an interview he was asked what had inspired him. He replied: "My men and my race are the inspiration of my work. I try to catch the character and mood and feeling of my people."
Duke was an absolute hit.

President Lyndon Johnson presented Duke Ellington with the President’s Gold Medal in 1966, President Richard M. Nixon presented Duke Ellington with the Medal of Freedom in 1969 and Duke Ellington also received thirteen Grammy Awards. He also received the Pulitzer Prize, was awarded the French Legion of Honor in 1973, and has a United States Commemorative stamp with his image on it, issued in 1986. Everything about his musical career was great. He wrote music his whole entire life. Saying that music was his most favorite thing to do would be an understatement. Music wasn’t his job, or hobby; it was his life. On May 24, 1974, at the age of 75, Duke Ellington died of lung cancer and pneumonia. His last words were, "Music is how I live, why I live and how I will be

remembered."
Duke Ellington really changed the jazz and music world. He brought a totally new style to the music and inspired many jazz players to be just as good, if not better than him. He set the bar for many jazz players. Duke made so many achievements in his musical career that it’s very hard for anyone to say he wasn’t a good musician. Duke’s legacy in the jazz world will always be remembered. He will simply go down as one of the greats.
Duke Ellington is simply a Jazz legend. He had many achievements. One of his greatest achievements is the number of grammys he won. Very rarely do musicians win ten grammys. But thirteen! That’s just incredible. Another major achievement of his was the fact that he wrote so many songs. The average musicians writes probably a hundred songs or fewer. But three thousand is incredible! Duke Ellington is a real legend.
One of the most memorable things Duke Ellington ever said was, “My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never.” This is what made him a jazz legend.

For anyone to be great, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. And the fact that he said he was “never satisfied” is what was truly the key to success. Almost every great athlete, musician, celebrity, etc. that was great at what they did was never satisfied with whatever they wanted to be great at. This trait is what separated Duke from everyone else. Whenever he was told good job, he thought to himself “I can do better.” Because that’s what every unsatisfied person thinks. It’s the drive that he had to do better than what he’s already done. Humans have no limitations. There is always room for improvement. And that’s what pushed himself to write three thousand songs and win many grammys and awards because he knew he could always be better and potentially the best. Another important quote from Duke Ellington was, “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” It sends a great message. In Duke’s opinion, whenever there is an opportunity to make things better for oneself or others take it. It’s a great message to send to people because people are afraid to take their chances and don’t want to attempt something because they’re afraid to fail. Duke’s confidence is admirable; as if he’s saying when there is a problem, there is a great chance to do something great.This quote really brings a lot of positive energy.

Duke Ellington was a wise and smart man as well as a good musician. He really is an inspiration to people.
Duke Ellington is an interesting person in not only jazz history, but in history itself. He brought a positive impact in the world with not only his music but with his personality. Ellington made a difference in the world with his lyrics, music, and style. He wasn’t just a musician, he a world changer. He loved music and believed he could make a difference with it. He believed he could become the best at performing and making incredible music. He also believed the sky was the limit and was never satisfied with himself and believed he could always do much better. And with the attributes and attitude he had, he did just that. He became what he dreamt of becoming: Simply one of the greats. As it was said in the movie The Sandlot “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.” And that’s what Duke’s Legacy will always be remembered as - a legend. Duke Ellington’s legacy will never die. And that is why he made such a huge impact in the world of Jazz. He set the bar, made a difference with his own style of play, and made a great name for himself. There have been many Jazz musicians in this world, but there has only been one Duke Ellington.