Duke Ellington
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Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was scene as not only a musician, but more than that. He was a composer and a true musical artist throughout his entire career. He was noted as elevating Jazz music to a standard that could be seen equal with all genres of music. Ellington was seen as an idol during the twenties, and composed music that is still influential today!
Bessie Smith
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Bessie Smith, having been born in 1895 and dying in 1937, threw a different spin on Classic Blues during the Twenties. Smith being a women didn't stop her from aspiring her dreams of being an african american musical artist during this time of segregation. She sung along many of the greats during the time period like Louis Armstrong, and proved herself to be someone of worth during these hard times.