Duke Ellington was born in Washington D. C. on April 29, 1899. His parents, James Edward Ellington and Daisy Ellington, were pianists by profession and instilled in him from an early age a love for music and for the instrument that, despite doubts in the first years of his life, he was passionate about. 

In the professional field

His first piano lessons began at the age of 7, but it was not until the age of 14 when, inspired by the musicians in a billiard room, he began to take lessons seriously and to develop professionally. He began composing at the age of 15, when he wrote the tune Soda Fountain Rag by ear. 

In 1917 he formed his first group, The Duke's Serenaders. By 1927 he managed to record with Adelaide Hall one of the most famous compositions of his career: Creole Love Call. 

Between 1933 and 1934 he expanded his horizons to European lands and received excellent reviews from the public and connoisseurs of the genre. This, evidently, was reflected in his work, as he began to compose musical pieces of greater length and musical depth.  

With this international boom, he began his first tour, avoiding the conflicts of segregation by traveling in private cars, facilities provided by agent Irving Mills.

By the 1940s, hits such as Take the "A" Train emerged. After the economic ravages of World War II, which forced many Big Bands to disintegrate due to the lack of performances due to the high cost of hiring them for the club owners, Ellington was able to tour the European continent, specifically Western Europe. It was in 1950 with a total of 74 performances. 

In this decade his career stagnated a bit, since his style was considered archaic and boring, but towards the end of the era he managed to resurface and acquire some recording stability with Columbia Records and venturing into the world of films, composing melodies for soundtracks. 

In 1965 he received a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize for Music, but was not awarded. That same year he performed the first of his so-called Sacred Concerts, receiving mixed reviews. In 1968 and 1973 the second and third concerts were performed respectively. 

In 1969 Duke Ellington was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Nixon and on March 20, 1974 he performed his last complete concert in the city of Illinois. 

The Duke of Jazz died of lung cancer on May 24, 1974 at the age of 75. His remains rest in Woodlawn Cemetery, New York. 

In 1999, after his death, he received a special Pulitzer Prize in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of his birth, recognizing his talent and contribution to the music industry. 

In the sentimental and personal field

In spite of being a man of restrained personality, Duke Ellington had a very well known sentimental life. In 1918 he married his school sweetheart Edna Thompson and a year later had his only son Mercer Kennedy Ellington, who followed in his father's footsteps in the music industry and took over the band after his death.  

At the end of the 1920s, Duke separated from his wife and joined Mildred Dixon, who became his partner for several years and took on the responsibility of raising his son. 

In 1938 he separated again to couple with Beatrice Ellis, a worker at the famous Cotton Club, a relationship that with comings and goings was maintained, even parallel to another sentimental relationship started in the 60's.