Duke Ellington was one of the most influential jazz musicians ever. In a time when music was going through a transformation from a ragtime style to a jazz-blues mix, Duke was there to add his own style. He was a composer, conductor, and pianist who revolutionized the way music was written and earned the title of being the "great American composer" (Williams, 51).
             Duke Ellington was born in Washington, D.C. in 1899. At the age of 17, he began to play professionally. Due to his love of music, Duke dropped out of high school to pursue his career as a musician in New York. He arrived in New York in 1923, where Ellington found that his plans were ruined as the job which awaited him was no longer available. Next, Duke just happened to run into an old friend, Ada Smith, who helps Duke's band get a job in the club she worked at.
             In the 1920s, the big city was not as glamorous as most people thought it was. Working in the club, Duke Ellington found himself around shady characters and gun-toting gangsters. Duke's workplace was a hazard in itself. Duke was constantly dodging thrown bottles from drunks and bullets on a regular basis. Instead, Duke did not allow any of these things to get in the way of his career or creativity.
             In this period of time, racism and segregation were huge problems in society. Through his musical talent, Duke Ellington was able to close the gap between the white upper-class and the black lower-class. Duke would play in such fancy joints as the Cotton Club, not to mention cheap rent parties that he made only a dollar a night. Unlike most musicians, Duke did not play for the money. He played his music to please his audience. Soon, white people who only chose to watch white performers, found themselves listening to the soothing music of Duke Ellington. Whites, blacks, and gangsters stood side-by-side at clubs and even sat at the same tables to listen to Duke. It was as if both of these races and
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