Frederick L. Guy (May 23, 1897 – December 22, 1971) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

banjo player and guitarist. Born in

Burkeville, Virginia Burkeville is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 432 at the 2010 census. The source of the town name is disputed. The town is located on the crossroads of U.S. Routes 360 and 460. Businesses in the small tow ...

, Guy was raised in New York City. He played guitar and banjo with Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra. In the early 1920s, Guy joined

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

's Washingtonians, switching from banjo to guitar in the early 1930s. He remained with Ellington's orchestra until 1949. He retired, moved to Chicago, and for twenty years ran a ballroom. In 1971, he committed suicide.

References

External links

Fred Guy recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Guy, Fred 1897 births 1971 deaths 1971 suicides 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century guitarists American jazz guitarists American male guitarists American male jazz musicians Duke Ellington Orchestra members Jazz musicians from Virginia People from Burkeville, Virginia Suicides in Illinois