Duke Ellington vs Jimi Hendrix
Two music prodigies, compared on what is actually documented: field, era, country and record. No invented numbers.
The record, side by side
| Duke Ellington | Jimi Hendrix | |
| Field | Music | Music |
| Sub-field | Composer | Pop |
| Born | 1899 | 1942 |
| Died | 1974 | 1970 |
| Country of birth | United States | United States |
| Star sign | Taurus | Sagittarius |
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 →
Jimi Hendrix
The first instrument Jimi Hendrix ever played was a ukulele with a single string. He found it while helping his father clean out a house in Seattle in 1957, and he spent weeks working out the melody to "Honky Tonk Women" on that single string before his father relented and bought him a five-dollar acoustic guitar. He was fifteen years old, completely self-taught, and he could already hear in his head sounds that no existing guitarist had yet produced. Within four years, by his own account, he had listened to every blues record he could…
Full biography of Jimi Hendrix →
What they share
- Both are held here under Music.
- Both born in United States.
- Their lifetimes overlap.
Where they part
- 43 years separate their births (1899 and 1942).
Questions people ask
- Who came first, Duke Ellington or Jimi Hendrix?
- Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington was born in 1899, Jimi Hendrix in 1942.
- What field is each of them in?
- Duke Ellington is filed under Music (Composer). Jimi Hendrix is filed under Music (Pop).
- Were they contemporaries?
- Yes - their lifetimes overlap.