Louis Armstrong was born on August 4th, 1901. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, US. His father is named William Armstrong(1881-1922) and his mother is named Mary "Maryann" Albert.(1886-1942) Louis Armstrong also has a younger sister Beatrice Armstrong Collins.(1903-1987) Early Upbringing: Louis Armstrong was born in a very poor family and lived in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended a school called "Fisk School" for boys.
On March 19, 1918, Louis married Daisy Parker from Gretna, Lousiana. They adopted a 3 yeard old boy, Clarence Armstrong, whose mother, Louis's cousin Flora died soon after giving birth. Clarence Armstrong was metally disabled by the result of a head injury. Louis's marriage failed quickly and they seperated. She died shortly after the divorce.
At 20, he could read music and he started to be featured in trumpet solos, one of the first jazzman to do this, injecting his own personality and style in his solo turns. He had learnt to create unique mucic and add singing and patter in his performances.
In 1922, Louis Armstrong joined the exodus to Chicago where he got invited by his mentor Joe "King" Oliver to join his band, Creole Jazz Band. Oliver's band was the best jazz band in chicago in the early 1920's at the time when Chicago was the centre of the jazz universe.
Louis Armstrong made his first recordings on the Gennet and Okeh lables including taking solos and breaks while playing second cornet in Oliver's band in 1923.
Louis Armstrong enjoyed working with Oliver but his second wife Lil Harden Armstrong told him to seek mre prominent billing and develop his newer style away of the influence of Oliver. Louis Armstrong took his wife's advice and left Olivers band.
Records with blues singer Bessie Smith, and Clarence Williams, among others. In November, quits Fletcher Henderson and returns to Chicago. Billed at the Dreamland Café as “The World’s Greatest Jazz Cornetist.” On November 12th, Louis makes his first recordings as a leader of his own group, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five.
After leaving Oliver's band, he went back to New York to play in the Fletcher Henderson and work on many records for a year. After playing in New York, he returned to Chicago to play in huge Orchestras; there he created his most important recordings.
Performs with Erskine Tate at the Vendome Theatre. Continues to record with the Hot Five (and with the Hot Seven in May, 1927). Performs at the Sunset Café with the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. Meets Joe Glaser (who will later become Louis’s manager). Briefly leads a band, Louis Armstrong and His Stompers, at the Sunset Café. Records “West End Blues” on June 28, 1928, which is today considered one of the most famous recordings in early jazz.
Louis Armstrng then moved to New York City. He performs at Connie’s Inn with the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. He appears in the Broadway show, Hot Chocolates. Tommy Rockwell becomes Louis’s manager. He then records “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”
Louis Armstrong then performed in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., setting a pattern of extensive touring that continues for the rest of his career. He appeared at Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club (Culver City, CA) and the performances are broadcast on radio. He recorded “Blue Yodel No. 9” with Jimmie Rodgers (the “Father of Country Music”), and “Memories of You.”
Louis Armstrong separates from Lil Hardin in August. He appeared in his first film, Ex-Flame. Johnny Collins became Louis’s manager, against Rockwell’s objections. He made two extensive tours of the Midwest and the south. He performed at the Roof Garden of the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville, making Louis the first black American to do so. He makes a triumphant return to New Orleans—his first visit since he departed in 1922. He then recorded “When It’s Sleepytime Down South,” which becomes his theme song.
He performd in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Nebraska. In July 1933, he returns to England upon the S.S. Homeric. Ten thousand people greeted him at the railway station in Denmark like crazy. For much of 1934, Louis lived in Paris. He also performed at La Salle Pleyel.
He returned to the United States in January. Joe Glaser became Louis’s new manager (and remains Louis’s manager until his death in 1969). His performances were nationally broadcast over CBS radios etc.
Louis Armstrong met the hosts in the Fleischmann’s Yeast Show, a national network radio program. He was able to appear in the motion picture Artists and Models. He was filmed Everyday’s a Holiday with Mae West.
Louis Armstrong was filmed in three “soundies” (3-minute films for coin-operated viewing booths) for RCM. He was also filmed Cabin in the Sky for MGM. He then divorced with Alpha Smith on October 2nd, and married Lucille Wilson on October 12th.
At the Nice Jazz Festival, he attended to the international jazz festival. He performed at the Carnegie Hall. He made his television debut on one of the first television broadcasts; the show is called Toast of the Town (later to be known as the EdSullivan Show).
Louis Armstrong goes on an tour to Canada, Hawaii, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Italy, and North Africa.
Louis Armstrong publishes his second autobiography Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans, which covers his life up until 1922. He went on an tour to Australia and recorded Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography for Decca Records.
Louis Armstrong performed in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Italy. He went on The Ed Sullivan Show. He then recorded “Mack the Knife” and Satch Plays Fats (an album of compositions by Fats Waller) for Columbia Records.
Louis Armstrong then went on tours to South America and Europe. He spoke out strongly against racial injustice especially the refusal of Little Rock, Arkansas, to integrate its schools and cancels his U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of Russia in protest. Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography for Decca Records.
He performed in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. He suddenly had an heart attack in Spoleto, Italy and was briefly hospitalised.
Louis Armstrong made a major tour of Africa as part of a four-month tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Pepsi-Cola.
Louis Armstrong co-hosted The Mike Douglas Show on television for one week. “Hello Dolly” became a number one hit, knocking the Beatles from the number one slot that they had held for three consecutive songs.
“What a Wonderful World” became a big hit in Great Britain.
Louis Armstrong from February to April was at Beth Israel Hospital due to his heart problems. Joe Glaser (Louis’s manager since 1935) died.
Louis Armstrong passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Corona on July 6th. On July 8th more than 30,000 mourners solemnly file past his casket at the Seventh Regiment Armory. A funeral at the modest Corona Congregational Church the next day attracted thousands more than the church could hold. He was buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, just a few miles away from his home in Corona.
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