As a child, on a dare from a friend, he fired a pistol into the air on South Rampart Street and was sentenced to the Colored Waif's Home. In 1930 he left New York and traveled to California looking for work. Some whites even called for boycotts of the trumpeters shows, but the controversy soon blew over after Eisenhower sent soldiers to desegregate the schools in Little Rock. Who were two of the most influential women in blues in the early 20th century? a. accredit Oliver called upon Armstrong in 1922, and in 1924 moved to New York to play with an orchestra and continued recording with . Louis Armstrong biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more. Louis and Lil Armstrong separated in 1931. It was the period of his greatest popularity; he produced hit recordings such as Mack the Knife and Hello, Dolly! and outstanding albums such as his tributes to W.C. Jack Bradley, Slim Thompson and Louis Armstrong in Armstrong's kitchen, c. 1965. Who, according to legend, lost his/her soul in order to become an outstanding musician? Note: This article contains information found in Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life written by Laurence Bergreen. How did Storyville section of New Orleans get its name? Armstrong quickly established himself as one of jazz musics most accomplished musicians, earning him the moniker the best guitarist in the world. During the 1930s, Armstrong was one of the most popular performers on the planet, traveling to Europe and the United States. The man most people call Satchrno, Mr. Armstrong, lived by a simple rule: I never attempted to prove anything, only to provide a good show. Armstrong, a notorious gambler, was raised in New Orleans slum of the sea and worked with prostitutes, pimps, and prosti tutes. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. New York: Da Capo Press, 1993. In New Orleans, what was the famous square that slaves would gather to play music. 125 Copy quote. Developed a way of playing jazz, as an instrumentalist and a vocalist, which has had an impact on all musicians to follow; Recorded hit songs for five decades, and his music is still heard today on television and radio and in films; Wrote two autobiographies, more than ten magazine articles, hundreds of pages of memoirs, and thousands of letters; Appeared in more than thirty films (over twenty were full-length features) as a gifted actor with superb comic timing and an unabashed joy of life; Composed dozens of songs that have become jazz standards; Performed an average of 300 concerts each year, with his frequent tours to all parts of the world earning him the nickname Ambassador Satch, and became one of the first great celebrities of the twentieth century. He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called "The Battlefield." . According to Biography, Louis Armstrong was an 11-year-old boy living in New Orleans when he was arrested on New Year's Eve for firing his stepfather's gun. A little over a century ago, Joseph "King" Oliver, mentor to a wide-eyed teenager named Louis "Dipper" Armstrong, stood peering up the main track of New Orleans' Union Station on South Rampart Street. In 1954, he released one of his masterpieces, 'Louis Armstrong Plays with Handy . By the time of his death in 1971, the man known around the world as Satchmo was widely recognized as a founding father of jazza uniquely American art form. In the 1920's, Armstrong's musical career really began to pick up when Oliver invited him to play as his second cornet in his band. Died . According to Miles Davis, there cant be anything on a horn that Louis hasnt played. Armstrongs autobiographies included Swing That Music (1936) and Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans (1954). Known for his distinctly unique voice, his incomparable trumpet skills and his pioneering of Jazz music, Louis Daniel "Satchmo" Armstrong was one of the best jazz musicians and greatest entertainment personalities the world has ever known. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Armstrong was a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance, which saw a revival of African American culture and artistic expression. The city has produced some of the world's great . On July 4, we remember the life and times of trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong. August 1922 He played in Kid Ory's band and entertained on the riverboat Dixie Bell, before joining Oliver in Chicago in 1922. While Armstrong is unknown to have made 1,500 recordings, many believe he did. His mother also later abandoned the family (which also included Armstrong's younger sister). Louis Armstrong, who was 69 years old, died on July 6, 1971, in Los Angeles. Satchmo at the National Press Club: Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours-Five months before his death, Armstrong transformed a National Press Club awards ceremony into a music celebration. He was a lifelong reader and talented, idiosyncratic writer who carried a dictionary with him on tour. d. creed. Although Armstrong claimed to be born in 1900, various documents, notably a baptismal record, indicate that 1901 was his birth year. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This prompted the formation of Louis Armstrongs All-Stars, a Dixieland band that at first included such other jazz greats as Hines and trombonist Jack Teagarden. Louiss garden is the setting for Hot Jazz Cool / Garden, where you can catch three hot New York jazz bands. LAHM 2006.1.1662-08. Among the performers were Bunk Johnson and Joe Oliver who were so impressed with young Louis' attention they became his instructors and mentors. There he created his most important early works, the Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 192528, on which he emerged as the first great jazz soloist. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Louis Armstrongs achievements are remarkable. These recordings capture Louis playing with a range and technique that would challenge the better cornetists of they day. set the stage for Louis Armstrong to receive international recognition. The trumpeter and his band, the All Stars, proceeded to take the continent by storm. Honing his skills by playing in early brass bands with Joe "King" Oliver, Bunk Johnson, Kid Ory and others, he replaced Oliver in Ory's band in 1919 when Oliver moved to Chicago. He also never stopped performing. Giddins, Gary. 70130. He would later joke that he had stopped a civil war. He stayed in New York almost a year before he returned to Chicago. a. However, his Broadway dreams were not realized. Armstrong, who relocated to Chicago from New York City in 1922, was a member of Joe Oliver's . Though his own bands usually played in a more conservative style, Armstrong was the dominant influence on the swing era, when most trumpeters attempted to emulate his inclination to dramatic structure, melody, or technical virtuosity. Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1901, even though he sometimes said later in his life that he was born on July 4, 1900. Late in his career, when Armstrong recorded "What a Wonderful World," it was a fitting ode to the life he lived and the legacy he created. There he learned to play the cornet in a band, and playing music quickly became a passion. Armstrong, who would soon become known to his audiences as Satchmo and Pops, would find that the world beyond New Orleans would not tire of his infectious smile, gravelly voice and remarkable ability to convey a landslide of emotion in the singular note of a trumpeta talent evident on tracks such as West End Blues and Potato Head Blues.. John McCusker, a veteranTimes-Picayunephotojournalist and the author ofCreole Trombone: Kid Ory and the Early Years of Jazz, offers history tours with stops at the Karnofsky familys tailor shop and other key sites, including the former Iroquois Theater, where Armstrong once won a talent competition in white face, and the Eagle Saloon, a popular watering hole where Armstrong likely drank and listened to other Back O Town artists. It was also the place where he fine-tuned the improvisational techniques that would become his signature. In early 1964, at age 62, Louis achieved the distinction of being the oldest musician ever to have a No. He toured extensively and recorded several albums. Louis Armstrong's Life in Letters, Music and Art Step inside the mind of one of America's great virtuosos, thanks to a vast archive of his personal writings, home recordings and artistic. July 6, 1971 in New York City, NY. The crime earned him a stint in a detention facility called the Colored Waifs Home for Boys, and it was there that Armstrong claimed, me and music got married. He spent his 18-month sentence learning how to play bugle and cornet from the Waifs Homes music teacher, Peter Davis, and eventually became a star performer in its brass band. And though the city has made strides to commemorate himwith its airport, a downtown park and an annual Satchmo summer festivalthe struggle to preserve New Orleans early jazz sites continues. Armstrong was already known as Ambassador Satch for his concerts in far-flung corners of the globe, but in 1960, he became an official cultural diplomat after he took off on a three-month, State Department-sponsored trip across Africa. Keep track of your trip itinerary here. He began playing in the noisy, smoke-filled musical clubs known as Black Storyville, which were located in the vicinity of South Liberty and Perdido streets (where New Orleans City Hall now stands). He also showcased instrumental solos in a way that was not previously practiced. Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901, though he claimed July 4 as his birthday. He carried the lessons he learned in New Orleans with him for the rest of his life. He played the guitar, Who was the father of the blues? What is Louis Armstrong famous for? Armstrong changed the jazz during the Harlem Renaissance. In 1918, Mr. Armstrong met Daisy Parker, a 21-year-old prostitute. New Orleans TitleofPoemSymbolExplanation\begin{array}{|l|l|l|} \hline As a child, he worked odd jobs and sang in a boys' quartet. Armstrongs humble beginnings in New Orleans soon transformed into worldwide stardom. WeatherbirdRag- This improvisational conversation between Armstrong and pianist Earl Hines has been called the most celebrated duet recording in the history of jazz. Brothers, Thomas. Yes he was. Being known as "the world's greatest trumpet player" during this time he continued his legacy and decided to continue a focus on his own vocal career. Armstrongs time on the riverboats was his first exposure to musical literacy, and the by-ear musicianwho until that point would memorize his partswas forced to sight-read. More than 40 . He was one of two children born to Willie Armstrong, a turpentine worker, and Mary Ann Armstrong, whose grandparents had been slaves. Of the many accolades he received, being elected King of Zulu during Mardi Gras was the one that he often said meant the most. Armstrong was born in a rough section of the city known as "The Battleground," where he grew up. Louis Armstrong, Master of Modernism By Thomas Brothers W. W. Norton & Company, 608 pages, $39.95 A massive, and massively detailed new biography, reminds music mavens that jazz pioneer Louis . Ghana, Denmark, England, France and many other countries hosted Louis Armstrong and, his newly formed band,The Allstars. Jack Bradley, fan, friend and photographer of Louis Armstrong, born Cotuit, Massachusetts, on 3 January, 1934 died March 21 2021 in Brewster, Massachusetts. The live concert performance was filmed on October 21, 1933, at Lyric Park. The Voice of Honey was a fifteen-minute daily show that featured popular songs and celebrities wish birthdays to listeners. Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) and Beginnings of Jazz. Armstrong's lips were heavily scarred. For best response, please call during business hours. \text{ } & \text{ } & \text{ }\\ \hline Handy and Fats Waller. He retained vestiges of the style in such masterpieces as Hotter than That, Struttin with Some Barbecue, Wild Man Blues, and Potato Head Blues but largely abandoned it while accompanied by pianist Earl Hines (West End Blues and Weather Bird). His wife helped jumpstart his solo career. Louis Armstrong's distinct voice and powerful performances made way for a legacy that endures nearly half a century following his passing. New Orleans native Louis Armstrong moved to New York City in 1924, where he played the clubs and on Broadway, helping to spread the sound of jazz to a larger audience. By the time of his death in 1971, the man known around the world as Satchmo was widely recognized as a founding father of jazza uniquely American art form. Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans known as the Battlefield on August 4, 1901. Leading composer and performer of ragtime. The recently reopened Little Gem Saloon is one of the few success stories among the small cluster of dilapidated jazz relics on the 400 block of South Rampart Street. A commemorative postage stamp of him was issued on Sept. 1, 1995, in Louis Armstrong Park. The trumpeter was so famously hard on his chops, as he called them, that a certain type of lip condition is now commonly known as Satchmos Syndrome., Armstrongs hesitancy to speak out against racism was a frequent bone of contention with his fellow black entertainers, some of whom branded him an Uncle Tom. In 1957, however, he famously let loose over segregation.