GetWiki

{{short description|American musician (1946–2013)}}{{for|the English football goalkeeper|George Duke (footballer)}}

factoids

| birth_place = San Rafael, California, U.S.201351|12}}| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.| instrument = Vocals, piano, synthesizer, saxophone, keytar, flute, bass guitar, tromboneJazz fusionR&B>Funk music>progressive rockrock and roll>jazz rockpost-discoARTIST BIOGRAPHY BY THOM JUREK TITLE=GEORGE DUKE | BIOGRAPHY ALLMUSIC >DATE=JANUARY 12, 1946 smooth jazz}}| occupation = Musician, composer, musical director, producer, educator| years_active = 1966–2013Pacific Jazz Records>IBis RecordingsPickwick Records>PickwickMPS Records>MPSSABA (electronics manufacturer)>SABAAtlantic Records>AtlanticEpic Records>EpicElektra Records>ElektraWarner Bros. Records>Warner Bros.Bizarre Records>Bizarre WorldTelarc International Corporation>Telarc JazzHeads Up International>Heads Up}}georgeduke.com}}}}George M. Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013)NEWS,www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/07/george-duke, George Duke obituary, August 7, 2013, The Guardian, August 25, 2021, was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as a professor of music. He first made a name for himself with the album The Jean-Luc Ponty Experience with the George Duke Trio. He was known primarily for 32 solo albums, of which A Brazilian Love Affair from 1979 was his most popular, as well as for his collaborations with other musicians, particularly Frank Zappa.

Biography

George M. Duke was born in San Rafael, California, United States, to Thadd Duke and Beatrice Burrell, and was raised in Marin City. At four years of age, he became interested in the piano. His mother took him to see Duke Ellington in concert and told him about this experience. “I don’t remember it too well, but my mother told me I went crazy. I ran around saying ‘Get me a piano, get me a piano!{{’“}} He began his formal piano studies at the age of seven at a local Baptist church.He attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley before earning a bachelor’s degree in trombone and composition, with a minor in contrabass, from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 1967.WEB,www.georgeduke.com/biography.html, George Duke biography, George Duke Online, January 30, 2016, He earned a master’s degree in composition from San Francisco State University in 1975.WEB,magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/fall_10/alumni5, Duke of Jazz, Magazine.sfsu.edu, July 12, 2018, July 12, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20180712184001/https://magazine.sfsu.edu/archive/fall_10/alumni5, dead, Although Duke started playing classical music, he credited his cousin Charles Burrell for convincing him to switch to jazz.BOOK, Coryell, Julie, Friedman, Laura, Jazz-rock Fusion: The People, the Music,books.google.com/books?id=XwWdk3x9u28C&pg=PA192, July 16, 2018, 2000, Hal Leonard, 978-0-7935-9941-7, 192–, WEB,www.sde.co.ke/m/pulse/article/2000111793/legendary-jazz-artiste-george-duke-s-final-bow, Legendary Jazz Artiste George Duke’s Final Bow, The Standard, Digital, Standard Digital News, March 17, 2018, January 4, 2017,www.sde.co.ke/m/pulse/article/2000111793/legendary-jazz-artiste-george-duke-s-final-bow," title="web.archive.org/web/20170104163136www.sde.co.ke/m/pulse/article/2000111793/legendary-jazz-artiste-george-duke-s-final-bow,">web.archive.org/web/20170104163136www.sde.co.ke/m/pulse/article/2000111793/legendary-jazz-artiste-george-duke-s-final-bow, dead, He explained that he “wanted to be free” and Burrell “more or less made the decision for me” by convincing him to “improvise and do what you want to do”. He taught a course on jazz and American culture at Merritt College in Oakland.Duke recorded his first album in 1966. His second was with French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, with whom he performed in San Francisco. After Frank Zappa and Cannonball Adderley heard him play, they invited him to join their bands. He spent two years with Zappa as a member of The Mothers of Invention, two years with Adderley, then returned to Zappa.WEB, Jurek, Thom, George Duke,www.allmusic.com/artist/george-duke-mn0000536122/biography, AllMusic, July 16, 2018, Zappa played guitar solos on his album Feel (1974). In 1975 he recorded with Pete Magadini (his Original drummer) the album Polyrhythm on Ibis Recordings. He recorded I Love the Blues She Heard My Cry with Zappa’s bandmates Ruth Underwood, Tom Fowler, and Bruce FowlerWatson, Ben, Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play, St Martin’s Press, New York, 1993, p. 294. and jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour.I Love the Blues She Heard My Cry, MPS Records-BAP 5071/BASF 5071/MPS Records MC 25671, 1975, sleeve notesDuke occasionally recorded under the name Dawilli Gonga, possibly for contractual reasons, when appearing on other artists’ albums.NEWS,www.radioswissjazz.ch/en/music-database/musician/930852fd554704444bbe818c7bbac93ae547/biography, George Duke, Radioswissjazz.ch, File:Stanley Clarke & George Duke.jpg|thumb|280px|right|Duke in concert with Stanley ClarkeStanley ClarkeIn 1977, Duke fused jazz with pop, funk, and soul music on his album From Me to You. Later, that same year, his album Reach for It entered the pop charts, and his audiences increased. In 1981, he began a collaboration with bassist Stanley Clarke that would last through the 1980s, which combined pop, jazz, funk, and R&B. Their first album contained the single “Sweet Baby”,WEB, Clarke, Stanley, Stanley Clarke Remembers George Duke,jazztimes.com/departments/farewells/stanley-clarke-remembers-george-duke/, JazzTimes, September 19, 2017, March 24, 2014, NEWS, Kohlhaase, Bill, 2 Musicians With a Meeting of the Minds,articles.latimes.com/1990-07-17/entertainment/ca-401_1_george-duke-and-stanley-clarke, Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2017, July 17, 1990, which became a Top 20 pop hit.During the 1980s, Duke’s career moved to a second phase as he spent much of his time as a record producer. He produced pop and R&B hits for A Taste of Honey, Jeffrey Osborne, and Deniece Williams. His clients included Anita Baker, Rachelle Ferrell, Everette Harp, Gladys Knight, Melissa Manchester, Barry Manilow, The Pointer Sisters, Smokey Robinson, Seawind, and Take 6.Duke worked as musical director at the 1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in London. In 1989, he temporarily replaced Marcus Miller as musical director of NBC’s late-night music performance program Sunday Night during its first season.WEB, Jazz Legend George Duke Dies at 67,www.bet.com/article/c5vwaa/jazz-legend-george-duke-dies-at-67, January 14, 2024, BET, en, “Sunday Night” episodes No.104 (1988), No.113 (1989), No.114 (1989), No.121 (1989) He was a judge for the second annual Independent Music Awards.WEB,www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp, Independent Music Awards, Independent Music Awards, August 6, 2013, dead,www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20110713024722www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20110713024722www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp, July 13, 2011, He died on August 5, 2013, in Los Angeles, at the age of 67 from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.WEB,music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=821730&ocid=ansent11, Jazz keyboardist George Duke dies at 67 - MSN Music News, Music.msn.com, August 6, 2013,music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=821730&ocid=ansent11," title="web.archive.org/web/20140106174504music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=821730&ocid=ansent11,">web.archive.org/web/20140106174504music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=821730&ocid=ansent11, January 6, 2014, dead,

Awards and honors

Grammy awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Duke has received two awards out of nine nominations.WEB, George Duke,www.grammy.com/artists/george-duke/2208, July 9, 2023, grammy.com, {| class=“wikitable sortable”! Year! Category! Nominated work! Result|1981Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals>Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal|The Clarke/Duke Project|{{nom}}|1985Grammy Award for Best Album for Children>Best Recording for Children|“We Are The World (single)“|{{nom}}|1990Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals>Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)“|Fumilayo (Track)|{{nom}}1998Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals>Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)“The Look Of Love (Track)“|{{nom}}Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album>Best Contemporary Jazz Performance“After Hours“|{{nom}}2000Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance>Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album“Cool“|{{nom}}Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album>Best Jazz Vocal Album“In the Moment – Live in Concert“|{{won}}|2001Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album>Best Jazz Vocal Album“(The Calling: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan|The Calling)“|{{won}}|2005Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance>Best Pop Instrumental Performance“T-Jam“|{{nom}}

GMA Dove Awards{| class“wikitable sortable“|+

!Year!Category!Nominated Work!Result|1993|Contemporary Black Gospel AlbumPUBLISHER=IMDB, imdb.com, |{{won}}

Soul Train Awards {| class“wikitable“|+

!Year!Category!Nominated Work!Result|2013|Best Contemporary Jazz Artist/Group||{{won}}

Other honors

(File:George Duke Performing on Keyboard in 2010.jpg|thumb|Duke performing on keyboards in 2010)He was inducted into The SoulMusic Hall of Fame at SoulMusic.comWEB, The Soulmusic Hall Of Fame: Legacy (Posthumous) (Inductees) {{!, Soul Music worldwide |url=http://www.soulmusic.com/the-soulmusic-hall-of-fame-legacy-posthumous-inductees/ |website=Soulmusic.com |access-date=October 18, 2018}}Al Jarreau recorded the tribute album My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke (Concord, 2014) with songs written by Duke. Appearing on the album were Gerald Albright, Stanley Clarke, Dr. John, Lalah Hathaway, Boney James, Marcus Miller, Jeffrey Osborne, Greg Phillinganes, Kelly Price, Dianne Reeves (Duke’s cousin), and Patrice Rushen. The album received the 2015 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album.WEB,www.billboard.com/articles/6207037/al-jarreau-salutes-george-duke-my-old-friend, Al Jarreau Salutes George Duke on New Star-Packed Album, August 5, 2014, January 30, 2016, Billboard.com, Mitchell, Gail,

Discography

{{div col}}

• The George Duke Quartet Presented By The Jazz Workshop 1966 Of San Francisco (1966)
• Save the Country (1970)
• The Inner Source (1973)
• Faces in Reflection (1974)
• Feel (1974)
• The Aura Will Prevail (1975)
• I Love the Blues, She Heard My Cry (1975)
• Liberated Fantasies (1976)
• From Me to You (1977)
• Reach for It (1977)
• The Dream (aka The 1976 Solo Keyboard Album) (1978)
• Don’t Let Go (1978)
• Follow the Rainbow (1979)
• Master of the Game (1979)
• A Brazilian Love Affair (1980)
• Dream On (1982)
• Guardian of the Light (1983)
• Rendezvous (1984)
• Thief in the Night (1985)
• George Duke (1986)
• Night After Night (1989)
• Snapshot (1992)
• Illusions (1995)
• Is Love Enough? (1997)
• After Hours (1998)
• Cool (2000)
• Face the Music (2002)
• Duke (2005)
• In a Mellow Tone (2006)
• Dukey Treats (2008)
• Déjà Vu (2010)
• DreamWeaver (2013)

{{div col end}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

External links

{{Commons category}}

• {{Official websitewww.georgeduke.com}}
• {{IMDb name|0241183}}
• George Duke at NPR Music
• {{discogs artist|George Duke}}
• {{Find a Grave|114994141}}
• 2009 interview at All About Jazz
• 2010 interview
• George Duke Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2010)
• 2012 Interview: Part 1 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820212203www.soulinterviews.com/george-duke-part-1-2012/ |date=August 20, 2020 }}, Part 2 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928125701www.soulinterviews.com/george-duke-part-2-2012/ |date=September 28, 2020 }}

{{George Duke}}{{Authority control}}