who was the duke of paducah
For other people with the same nickname, see Duke of Paducah (disambiguation). Whitey Ford, The Duke of Paducah. Benjamin Francis Ford (May 12, 1901 â June 20, 1986), known professionally as The Duke of Paducah, was an American country comedian, radio host and banjo player popular from the 1940s to the 1960s. Ford was born in De Soto, Missouri, and was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1918.