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Mildred Dixon
 ( November 21, 1904 — September 18, 2001 )

supplement to
The Duke – Where and When
A Chronicle of Duke Ellington's Working Life and Travels

Written by David Palmquist
in consultation with
Ann Maguire Keches
The photos from Tizol and Greer collections are
courtesy of Steven Lasker

Last updated 2024-10-07

Mildred Dixon portrait from Tizol collection
Mildred Dixon,
Portrait in the Tizol collection
Click to Enlarge
Mildred
(Tizol collection)
Click to Enlarge



Mildred
(Tizol collection)
Click to Enlarge


Mildred Teresa Dixon, who would become Duke Ellington's first common-law wife around 1928 or 1929, was born in Boston, Massachusetts on November 21, 1904.(1)

She was baptized April 2, 1905 at Church of St. Augustines in Boston, sponsored by Sister Anna Maria and Theresa Perkins.(2)



Illustrated Feature Section,
Topeka Plain Dealer, Topeka, Kans. 1930-08-23 p.8
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Exactly when she and Duke began living together is not documented; she is not listed at 381 Edgecombe Ave. in the 1930 U.S. census.
Steven Lasker:the May 18, 1929 Manhattan Address telephone directory finds Duke at 381 Edgecombe. Ulanov tells us Duke moved in with Mildred at her 131st St. apartment prior to the move to Edgecombe. Conclusion: Duke and Mildred began to live together in either 1928 or 1929...

Despite "socially correct" statements in the media when Ellington died, he did not divorce his wife Edna and marry Mildred. He remained married to Edna until her death in 1967.

Ellington left Mildred in 1938 to live with Bea Ellis, otherwise known as Evie.

Mildred remained friends with Ruth Ellington into old age and referred to Mercer Ellington as her godson.(2)

In 1941, Mildred was reported to be living with Margaret Whetsel, widow of the late trumpet player with Ellington.(3)

She was reported to have married a Stanley Stingle in 1942.(4)

In 1950, Ellington reactivated his dormant music publishing company Tempo Music Ltd. with Ruth Ellington as president and Mildred as manager. The New York Age said Mildred had been affiliated with it for five years.(5)

She married George Nicholas Manos (also known as Dardamanelis) in 1956.(2) How her previous marriage ended is not yet documented.

The 1910 census lists Mildred as the granddaughter of the head of the house, John J. Dixon. He is described as a widower, aged 47, born in Canada, immigrated in 1881. Mildred's mother was Ethel M. Dixon, listed as a daughter in that household, single, aged 25, born in Massachusetts, mother of one.

Mildred's father is not named on her birth certificate or in the 1910 census; in Mildred's 1910 census entry, however, he is reported to be Italian. The race of all members of the household is listed as B except Mildred, listed as Mu.

Mildred's mother, uncle, aunt and grandparents are in Boston in the 1900 census. Ethel was born in Massachusetts in December 1884; the grandfather and grandmother in Canada in 1861 and 1864 respectively. Their entries say their parents were also born in Canada.

Mildred left home in her mid-teens,(2) and became a dancer at the Cotton Club around 1926, dancing with Henri Wessels in a duo billed as "Mildred and Henri" and "Henri & La Perl.(6)" She was dancing at the Cotton Club when Ellington began there; their team was referred to as Henri Wessels and La Pearl by Kay O'Hara in her 1927-12-06 Morning Telegraph review of the Dec. 4 Cotton Club opening night. She described herself as an "adagio dancer" – slow graceful movements to be distinguished from other dancers at the Club, akin to ballroom dancing.(2)

Sonny Greer is quoted as saying Mildred and Duke would often play cards with the Cotton Club bosses.

Mercer Ellington:

' It was a dancer who greeted me when I arrived at 381 Edgecombe Avenue. Pop had met Mildred Dixon when he first opened at the Cotton Club, where she was dancing with Henri Wesson [recte Wessels] in a duo billed as "Mildred and Henri," esteemed as one of the finest professional "ballroom" dance acts in the country. Mil was petite, with long black hair swept back into a bun, ballerina style. Her finely chiseled features and luminous dark eyes somehow suggested the East Indies. She had innate class comparable to Ellington's own, and he showed her great courtesy, attention, and affection.

Her devotion was obvious, and they made a graceful pair.

She was intelligent and had a gift for diplomacy that made for friends in every quarter. She was popular with those he dealt with in the business and was trusted, even respected, by the band wives.

... a number of them took a leaf from her book in the way she closed her eyes to any aspect of Pop's life that could reflect badly on her. Another thing, she didn't gossip, and that was important to everyone, particularly the musicians, because Ellington was about the only one whose woman accompanied him regularly on tour, the only one who knew all that went on. Mil always carried herself like the lady she genuinely was, and in time she gained everyone's confidence. She was a real asset to Pop, his "Sweet Bebe." In those days, when he enjoyed eating and drinking, he was heavier, and she often looked minuscule beside him. So he called her "Tubby," which was the kind of teasing she liked.

...[After the separation] Ruth and I were left at 381 Edgecombe Avenue with Mil. After he and Mil had come to the parting of the ways, we realized that if we didn't change our residence he would never come back to live with us, or even to visit us, because he didn't want to come back to face Mil. So we left the apartment, left all the furniture and everything with Mil, and moved farther up the street... '



A caution. There were two entertainers named "Mildred Dixon" in the press. Searching newspaper archives for that name will result in thousands of "hits," the majority of which relate to other individuals of the same name.

References

Mildred
(Sonny Greer's scrapbook)
Click to Enlarge


Mildred Dixon
(in Wikipedia)
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(the Tizol collection) Click to Enlarge