This day in music history.

May 24, 1974, At the age of 75 Duke Ellington died of lung cancer. By the time of his death he had played over 20.000 concerts and had been awarded almost every honor that a musician could including the Legion of Honor by the French government and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the US. He wrote and recorded hundreds of musical compositions, played for queens and presidents and was one of the greatest musicians that ever lived.