What does a world-famous musician put under the tree for the woman he loves . . . when he happens to be married to someone else?
In the case of the greatest bandleader of all time, the perfect gift was a Bible.
On December 25, 1963, Duke Ellington gave this pocket-sized edition of the New Testament to Beatrice Ellis, also known as Evie Ellington. The composer was married to his high school sweetheart, Edna Thompson Ellington, for nearly half a century, but for much of that time he lived with Ellis, who also used his name and was sometimes called his "First Lady."
Read Full Article »