Arthur Parker Whetsel, born on February 22, 1905, in Punta Gorda, Florida, was a prominent American jazz trumpet player known for his work with Duke Ellington's orchestra. After the death of his father when he was just one year old, Whetsel grew up in Los Angeles, California, where he began playing the cornet at the age of eight. In his teenage years, Whetsel's family moved to Washington, D.C., where he joined local bands and eventually became a member of Duke Ellington's first band, The Washingtonians. He participated in the band's first test recording for Victor in 1923, billed as Snowden's Novelty Orchestra.

Whetsel left the band in 1923 to pursue medical studies but returned in 1928 during Ellington's engagement at the Cotton Club in Harlem. He contributed to some of Ellington's most iconic recordings, including "Black Beauty," "Black and Tan Fantasy," and "Mood Indigo." Whetsel was celebrated for his trumpet's broad, open tone and the haunting, ethereal sound he achieved with his unique use of mutes.

In 1938, Whetsel's behavior became erratic, and he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He spent his final years at the Central Islip State Hospital in New York, where he passed away on May 1, 1940. Arthur Whetsel is remembered for his significant contributions to jazz and his distinctive trumpet sound that complemented Ellington's orchestra.