Editing Duke Ellington (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Duke Ellington 1.JPG|thumb|left|Ellington in 1973]]

Ellington married his high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson (d. 1967), on July 2, 1918, when he was 19.<ref name="hasse49">{{Harvnb|Hasse|1995|p=49}}</ref> The next spring, on March 11, 1919, Edna gave birth to their only child, [[Mercer Ellington|Mercer Kennedy Ellington]].<ref name="hasse49" />

Ellington was joined in New York City by his wife and son in the late 1920s, but the couple soon permanently separated.<ref>Susan Robinson, {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20101029213611/http://gibbsmagazine.com/Duke%20Ellington.htm "Duke Ellington"]}}, ''Gibbs'' magazine, n.d.</ref> According to her obituary in ''[[Jet (magazine)|Jet]]'' magazine, she was "homesick for Washington" and returned.<ref name="Duchess">{{cite magazine |title=Duke Ellington's Duchess |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s7gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46 |access-date= October 13, 2018 |date= February 2, 1967 |magazine=Jet |pages=46–}}</ref> In 1929, Ellington became the companion of [[Mildred Dixon]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Hasse|1995|pp=129–131}}</ref> who traveled with him, managed Tempo Music, inspired songs, such as "[[Sophisticated Lady]]",<ref>{{Harvnb|Africville Genealogy Society|2010|p=34}}</ref> at the peak of his career, and raised his son.<ref>{{Harvnb|Africville Genealogy Society|2010|pp=33–34}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Lawrence|2001|p=130}}</ref><ref name="cohen297">{{Harvnb|Cohen|2010|p=297}}</ref>

[[File: Mildred Dixon - Duke Ellington's wife.jpg|thumb|Mercer referred to [[Mildred Dixon]] as his mother]]

In 1938, he left his family (his son was 19) and moved in with Beatrice "Evie" Ellis, a Cotton Club employee.<ref>{{Harvnb|Hasse|1995|pp=218–219}}</ref> Their relationship, though stormy, continued after Ellington met and formed a relationship with Fernanda de Castro Monte in the early 1960s.<ref>{{Harvnb|Teachout|2015|pp=310–312}}</ref> Ellington supported both women <!-- Which? Three have been named. -->for the rest of his life.<ref>Lawrence, 2001, p. 356.</ref>

Ellington's sister Ruth (1915–2004) later ran Tempo Music, his music publishing company.<ref name="cohen297" /> Ruth's second husband was the bass-baritone [[McHenry Boatwright]], whom she met when he sang at her brother's funeral.<ref name="Norment">{{cite magazine |last=Norment |first=Lynn |date=January 1983 |title=First Marriage After 40: McHenry Boatwright |magazine=Ebony |pages=30 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4dgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30 |via=Google Books}}</ref> As an adult, son Mercer Ellington (d. 1996) played trumpet and piano, led his own band, and worked as his father's business manager.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mercer-ellington-mn0000405957/biography |title=Mercer Ellington: Biography |last=Yanow |first=Scott |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref>

Ellington was a member of [[Alpha Phi Alpha]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://alpha-zsl.org/famousalphas.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023002021/http://www.alpha-zsl.org/famousalphas.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=October 23, 2006 |title=Famous Alphas |publisher=Alpha Phi Alpha |access-date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> and was a Freemason associated with [[Prince Hall Freemasonry]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/jul/02/secret-jazz-freemason-history-duke-ellington-sun-ra |title=The secret history of the jazz greats who were freemasons |first=John |last=Lewis |work=The Guardian |date=July 2, 2014}}</ref>