Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington was born in 1899, in Washington, D.C., USA. He was an important contributor to jazz music. He played the piano, and he was a band-leader. He was active for more than 50 years, composing thousands of songs for the stage,
screen and radio broadcasts. He created a new sound in Western music, and he carried on playing his American Music until just before he died in 1974.