Duke Ellington in White House - 1939

from Duke Ellington: Music is my Mistress, page 489:

[Duke Ellington’s 40th birthday celebration hosted by President Nixon at the White House] Some of the men who had worked at the White House for twenty or thirty years said there had never been a night like that before, and I believe them. The party went on until after two o'clock. Can you imagine Billy Eckstine, Lou Rawls, and Joe Williams, all at the mike at the same time, each singing the other's blues? Can you imagine me dancing with Carmen De Lavallade? Can you imagine Vice President Agnew playing "Sophisticated Lady," or the lovely First Lady's handsome husband playing "Happy Birthday" …   more >>
cite as

Duke Ellington, Duke Ellington: Music is my Mistress (New Jersey, 1973), p. 489. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1430230823406 accessed: 28 March, 2024

location of experience: White House

Listeners

Duke Ellington
lyricist, performer, piantist, Composer […]
1899-1974

Listening to

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Blues singing, male voices performed by Lou Rawls, BIlly Eckstine, Joe Williams

Experience Information

Date/Time 1939
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, in private, indoors

Originally submitted by 5011Henning on Tue, 28 Apr 2015 15:20:24 +0100
Approved on Tue, 01 Sep 2015 13:11:02 +0100