Duke Ellington vs Ella Fitzgerald
Two music prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Duke Ellington | Ella Fitzgerald | |
| Field | Music | Music |
| Sub-field | Composer | Composer |
| Born | 1899 | 1917 |
| Died | 1974 | 1996 |
| Country of birth | United States | United States |
| Star sign | Taurus | Taurus |
Who they are
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy Ellington was born on April 29, 1899, in Washington, D.C., into a middle-class family that prized dignity and elegance. His mother, Daisy Kennedy Ellington, was a pianist who gave him his first music lessons. His stylish bearing in youth earned him the nickname "Duke" from a friend who felt the young Edward carried himself with the air of aristocracy — a name that would prove prophetic. He began serious piano study at age seven, fell away from it during adolescence, then returned with furious dedication in his teens, playing in local Washington venues…
Full biography of Duke Ellington →
Ella Fitzgerald
On the night of November 21, 1934, a seventeen-year-old girl walked onto the stage of the Apollo Theater in Harlem for Amateur Night and froze. She had entered intending to dance — she was a known dancer among her friends in Yonkers — but when she looked out at the audience, something failed. She stood there, in a dress borrowed from a friend, in shoes that didn't fit, before an audience that was already restless. Then she opened her mouth and sang. The audience went quiet. She won first place. The bandleader Chick Webb heard…
Full biography of Ella Fitzgerald →
What they share
- Both are held here under Music.
- Same sub-field: Composer.
- Both born in United States.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
- Both Taurus.
Where they part
- 18 years separate their births (1899 and 1917).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Duke Ellington or Ella Fitzgerald?
- Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington was born in 1899, Ella Fitzgerald in 1917.
- What field is each of them in?
- Duke Ellington is filed under Music (Composer). Ella Fitzgerald is filed under Music (Composer).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.