Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The Man Behind The Music


Photo: (1) Duke enjoys his two favourite pass-times: composing and smoking (2) Duke on the keys
  • Duke was completely dedicated to his music, his tour manager had a hard time keeping him on track, because Duke would play on the piano for a long time
  • Had a strong bond with band mates. On one occasion, the night before a concert, Duke described a new song to his band instead of writing it down on paper. The members of his band completely understood.
  • Was a heavy smoker, died of cancer
  • Paid band members with royalties from earlier hits, during the Depression when the jazz scene took a hard blow
  • Spent spare time composing
  • Wrote first song at age 12- "Soda Pop Meringue"
  • Was an athlete before taking piano seriously, enjoyed baseball
"This isn't piano, this is dreaming."

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