Though he had finally spoken out after years of remaining publicly silent, he received criticism at the time from both Black and white public figures. Willies habit of devoting all his attention to his second, Because firing guns to welcome in the New Year was a New Orleans custom, he thought (even at 11 years old) that it would be morally acceptable to fire the gun. He was an extraordinary musician and he impacted jazz music immensely. Glaser did just that; within a few months, Armstrong had a new big band and was recording for Decca Records. Armstrong was arrested at eleven years old for disturbing the peace. Armstrong spent much of that year at home, but managed to continue practicing the trumpet daily. WebLouis Armstrongs ability to use his career to change the music and jazz industry forever is another great example of why Louis Armstrong exhibits the right. Born in 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Armstrong had a difficult childhood. Duke Ellingtons sense of musical drama was the one that made him stand out from all of the rest., Armstrong became the best jazz soloist on Broadway (Louis Armstrong 1). Armstrong moved to Chicago to join Oliver's band in August 1922 and made his first recordings as a member of the group in the spring of 1923. WebThrough the internet and books we find out why Louis Armstrong is such a great person to learn about. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. With his amazing voice trumpet he created a band and made some records. Louis Armstrong was successful in jazz because he learned on his own with daily practice while influencing others with his music by making smiles appear on their face. He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. I think to myself, what a wonderful world. The records by Louis Armstrong and His Fiveand later, Hot Sevenare the most influential in jazz. Thereafter until his death in 1971, however, Armstrong never publicly addressed whether he was in fact Sharon's father. See answer (1) Best Answer. Satchmo didn't let the criticism stop him, however, and he returned an even bigger star when he began a longer tour throughout Europe in 1933. But you get sick just like the next cat and when you die you're just as graveyard dead as he is. We contributed Louis Armstrong. If the gun was not so easily accessible, his firing it and being arrested could have been prevented. Louis Armstrong was called "the single most important figure in the history of jazz" by Billboard magazine, a publication that tracks the recording industry. Related. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. When Wilson tired of living out of a suitcase during endless strings of one-nighters, she convinced Armstrong to purchase a house at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, Queens, New York. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. His resurgence in the '60s with hit recordings like 1965's Grammy-winning "Hello Dolly" and 1968's classic "What a Wonderful World" solidified his legacy as a musical and cultural icon. Born, August 4, 1901 he started off in a harder life than most people usually do. He spread jazz throughout the world. The solos Armstrong performed along with his popular scat singing helped make jazz musicians more popular along with making the fans take notice of Armstrong and jazz itself (Rennert 8). .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LOUIS ARMSTRONG FACT CARD. By 1932, Armstrong, who was now known as Satchmo, had begun appearing in movies and made his first tour of England. He was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. Famous for his innovative methods of playing the trumpet and cornet, he was also a highly talented singer, blessed with a powerful gravelly voice. Known for his improvisation, Armstrong could induce dramatic effects with his music. One of the most important figures in 20th century music, Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist are widely recognized today, and will continue to be for decades to come. Though Armstrong was content to remain in New Orleans, in the summer of 1922, he received a call from Oliver to come to Chicago and join his Creole Jazz Band on second cornet. As if it were not enough that Armstrong would rewire instrumental music for the rest of the century, his singing did the same for vocal music. He was a groundbreaking musician and a pioneer in the development of jazz music. These views changed in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis on television. At one point in Heebie Jeebiesa 1926 song released by Armstrong and his "Hot Five bandthe singer vocalizes a series of nonsensical, horn-like sounds. Beginning in 1919, Armstrong spent his summers playing on riverboats with a band led by Fate Marable. He interprets and contributes to the genre of jazz, creates great form through his performance in the Hot Chocolates, and his work represents a whole for equality and the civil rights movement. Jelly Roll Morton was a great pianist and arranger from New Orleans., He not only produce one impressive improvised solo after another, but he also raised the bar for jazz vocals. Armstrong put his career in Glaser's hands and asked him to make his troubles disappear. Read Full Biography. Louis Armstrong was an American jazz musician who was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. WebBy the '50s, Armstrong was an established international celebrity--an icon to musicians and lovers of jazz--and a genial, infectiously optimistic presence wherever he appeared. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. 2012-02-22 18:06:07. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. Louis Armstrong was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and singer known for songs like "What a Wonderful World, Hello, Dolly, Star Dust and "La Vie En Rose.. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. This is where Armstrong first fell in love with music; he would listen to people playing any chance that he would get(Tirro). In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography: Swing That Music. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. You might be able to buy a little better booze than the wino on the corner. Aint that stupid? After a quick trip with a group of people to Venice, Mozart and his daddy returned back to his hometown Salzburg. Wiki User. He had a string of pop hits beginning in 1949 and started making regular overseas tours, where his popularity was so great, he was dubbed Ambassador Satch.. Armstrong could make an audience cheer, but Roy Eldridge, made those top and bottom notes feel like a natural part of what the horn should do (Friedwald 21). In addition, his mother did not have a stable job and with his father long out of the picture, life was hard for young Armstrong. ", Armstrong's fully healed lip made its presence felt on some of the finest recordings of career, including "Swing That Music," "Jubilee" and "Struttin' with Some Barbecue.". Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. In a 1951 interview with Esquire, Armstrong claimed to have come prepared with printed lyrics that day. WebLouis Armstrong remains an icon of American history and 20 th century popular culture. One of the first many New Orleans style jazz artists is Jelly Roll Morton. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus sent in the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine nine African American students from entering the public school. Also in 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music. You feel butterflies in your stomach as you take your seat. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. The latter performance is one of Armstrong's best known works, opening with a stunning cadenza that features equal helpings of opera and the blues; with its release, "West End Blues" proved to the world that the genre of fun, danceable jazz music was also capable of producing high art. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. Louis Armstrong, also known as Ambassador Satch, was unofficially adopted by a family of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania who had a junk hauling business in Louisiana. In the summer of 1929, Armstrong headed to New York, where he had a role in a Broadway production of Connie's Hot Chocolates, featuring the music of Fats Waller and Andy Razaf. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He attended Colored Waifs Home in 1913 for eighteen months. Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. On New Year's Eve in 1912, Armstrong fired his stepfather's gun in the air during a New Year's Eve celebration and was arrested on the spot. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. To grasp how much the man adored this entre, consider that he often signed his personal letters with Red Beans and Ricely Yours.. In June 1951 he reached the Top Ten of the LP charts with Satchmo at Symphony Hall ("Satchmo" being his nickname), and he scored his first Top Ten single in five years with "(When We Are Dancing) I Get Ideas" later in the year. Seeing "the writing on the wall," Armstrong scaled down to a smaller six-piece combo, the All Stars; personnel would frequently change, but this would be the group Armstrong would perform live with until the end of his career. (Biography.com), Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the first real genius of jazz(Shipton 26). He returned to performing in 1970 but it was too much, too soon and he passed away in his sleep on July 6, 1971, a few months after his final engagement at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Instead of doing strictly jazz numbers, OKeh began allowing Armstrong to record popular songs of the day, including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Star Dust" and "Body and Soul.". Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. Back in Chicago, OKeh Records decided to let Armstrong make his first records with a band under his own name: Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five. By the end of the decade, the popularity of the Hot Fives and Sevens was enough to send Armstrong back to New York, where he appeared in the popular Broadway revue, Hot Chocolates. He soon began touring and never really stopped until his death in 1971. Clarence, who had become mentally disabled from a head injury he had suffered at an early age, was taken care of by Armstrong his entire life. Armstrong could make an audience cheer, but Roy Eldridge, made those top and bottom notes feel like a natural part of what the horn should do (Friedwald 21). Evidently, the show went well. Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LOUIS ARMSTRONG FACT CARD, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Louis Armstrong, Birth Year: 1901, Birth date: August 4, 1901, Birth State: Louisiana, Birth City: New Orleans, Birth Country: United States, Best Known For: Louis Armstrong was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and singer known for songs like "What a Wonderful World, Hello, Dolly, Star Dust and "La Vie En Rose., Astrological Sign: Leo. Louis Armstrong is one of the first great soloists in the 1920s musicians. He began to grow artistically and perfected his improvisational method (Jazz Stars 2). This pop success was repeated internationally four years later with "What a Wonderful World," which hit number one in the U.K. in April 1968. His music was a happiness to individuals and they said he was a gift sent from heaven. Members of the group, at one time or another, included Jack Teagarden, Earl Hines, Sid Catlett, Barney Bigard, Trummy Young, Edmond Hall, Billy Kyle and Tyree Glenn, among other jazz legends. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. He was especially known for his spectacular trumpet playing, unmistakable voice, and exceptionally recognizable, broad smile., In three years they recorded over 60 records, which now are considered the most influential recordings in jazz history. They also encouraged him to sing and often invited him into their home for meals. The lights dim, and the velvet curtains slide open. Jelly Roll, Doctor Jazz, Original Jelly Roll Blues, and many other famous pieces. he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Aristotle did not consider children as morally responsible as adults because they have not had sufficient time to move beyond their backgrounds and upbringing. Perhaps most importantly, the letters also detail Armstrong's fatherly love for Sharon. His charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. She pushed her husband to cut ties with his mentor and join Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, the top African American dance band in New York City at the time. He was from a very poor family and was sent to reform school when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. For live dates, he appeared with the orchestras led by Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson. Armstrong spent the last decade of his life similarly that he had spent the four past enthralling groups of onlookers all through the world., Louis Blues, Overall Armstrong wrote and performed some of the most popular and well known jazz songs of all time. WebLouis Armstrongas a musician, as a man, as an icon. Why was Louis Armstrong so important? Nobody did what Louis could do. Armstrong was the primary ever "Genius" of jazz music. While not officially government-sponsored, there are some who believe the concert was arranged by the CIA, which would make this just one of the many taxpayer-funded appearances hed make abroad during the Cold War in an effort to strengthen diplomatic relations overseas. Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. One of the first soloists on record, Louis was at the forefront of changing jazz from ensemble-oriented folk music into an art form that emphasized inventive solo improvisations. Armstrong returned home in May 1971, and though he soon resumed playing again and promised to perform in public once more, he died in his sleep on July 6, 1971, at his home in Queens, New York. The record was released in 1964 and quickly climbed to the top of the pop music charts, hitting the No. Armstrong fought back, but for many young jazz fans, he was regarded as an out-of-date performer with his best days behind him. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. But, as a Bayou State native, Armstrongs favorite dish was always rice and beans. Louis Armstrong is considered a hero for many reasons. He returned to Broadway in the short-lived musical Swingin' the Dream in November 1939. The first recording of What a Wonderful World was produced by ABC Records, which made no attempt to advertise it domestically. WebDid You Know? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. These records later went on to become the most influential in jazz history, as it was the first time Armstrong facilitated the evolution of jazz as a ensemble to a soloist art. Different from most of his recordings of the era, the song features no trumpet and places Armstrong's gravelly voice in the middle of a bed of strings and angelic voices. The bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? Armstrong was arrested at eleven years old for disturbing the peace. Armstrong continued to appear in major films with the likes of Mae West, Martha Raye and Dick Powell. He adds, "He was also more than a jazz musician he was an enormously popular entertainer"(pp. Though he was the product's biggest cheerleader, Armstrong neither requested nor received any payment from its manufacturers. He worked for to get his instrument because his mother couldn't afford to buy him one. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). Louis Armstrong. By the mid-'40s, the Swing Era was winding down and the era of big bands was almost over. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. The movie he appeared in was Pennies from Heaven (1936). In 1993, it gained renewed popularity when it was used in the film Sleepless in Seattle. His notoriety for being the best jazz player of his time was secured as Armstrong's arrangement of swing and melodic development opened out and changed Henderson's band and in addition jazz overall. His rise to fame peaked in the 1920s, where he stunned the world with his bold trumpet style and idiosyncratic vocals. He started as a soloist for Henderson after marrying Lil Hardin. Eventually tour ended and Louis went back home to continue his. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. WebCourtesy of the Louis Armstrong Archive Queens College, CUNY. Mob bosses from New York City and Chicago threatened Louis Armstrong in attempts to control his management contract. While in New York, Armstrong cut dozens of records as a sideman, creating inspirational jazz with other greats such as Sidney Bechet, and backing numerous blues singers including Bessie Smith. The brilliance of his playing, the warmth of his vocals, and his integrity as a human being simply inspires me. All Rights Reserved. In December of that year, he was called into the studio to record the title number for a Broadway show that hadn't opened yet: Hello, Dolly! Louis was the illegitimate son of William Armstrong and Mary Est Mayann Albert. Armstrongs improvised solos transformed jazz from an ensemble-based music into a soloists art, while his expressive vocals incorporated innovative bursts of scat singing and an underlying swing feel. When Armstrong saw this as well as white protesters hurling invective at the students he blew his top to the press, telling a reporter that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had "no guts" for letting Faubus run the country, and stating, "The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell.". Given his popularity, his long career, and the extensive label-jumping he did in his later years, as well as the differing jazz and pop sides of his work, his recordings are extensive and diverse, with parts of his catalog owned by numerous companies. What was Louis Armstrongs childhood like? He was by far the most enduringly popular man of all the classical composers, and his influence on following Western art music was very good and intense., Intro Armstrong's four marriages never produced any children, and because he and wife Lucille Wilson had actively tried for years to no avail, many believed him to be sterile, incapable of having children. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. His greatest inspiration was Joe King Oliver. In fact, before marrying his fourth wife, he made sure that she could cook a satisfactory plateful. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. In a strange turn of events, it was during this tour that Armstrong's career fell apart: Years of blowing high notes had taken a toll on Armstrong's lips, and, following a fight with his manager Johnny Collins who already managed to get Armstrong into trouble with the Mafia he was left stranded overseas by Collins. He was abandoned by his father, a boiler stoker, shortly after his birth and was raised by his paternal grandmother. The joyous tune perfectly and ironically clashed with the wartime horrors depicted in one montage, so director Barry Levinson added it to his films soundtrack. WebA jazz pioneer, Louis Armstrong was the first important soloist to emerge in jazz, and he became the most influential musician in the music's history. Jazz is a genre of music that brought a whole community of people together. He was then sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. Louis Armstrong (Aug 4th, 1901 - Jul 6th, 1971) was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who became one of the most influential figures in jazz. WebRather than appealing simply to the crowd of already established jazz lovers, Louis Armstrong was effective at bridging the gap and reaching out to those that may not have been as familiar with the genre and effectively serving as one of the best ambassadors that the jazz world has ever known. While performing with Tate in 1926, Armstrong finally switched from the cornet to the trumpet. Even the scepter of Uncle Tom that shadowed the outsized Satchmo during his career, and that Ellington essentially concurred with in an interview with Carter Harman in 1964, has faded. Not a single jazz musician who had previously criticized him took his side but today, this is seen as one of the bravest, most definitive moments of Armstrong's life. He made his first recordings with Oliver on April 5, 1923; that day, he earned his first recorded solo on "Chimes Blues.". The way they are treating my people in the South, declared Armstrong, the government can go to hell.. (Jazz From New Orleans, Jazz music was one of the most popular music genres in the 1920s and 1930s. Given that Armstrong was only 11, it was (one of) his stepfathers who was responsible for the whole series of events. Louis was able to get hired as a junk collecter and coal deliverer. A series of new biographies on Armstrong made his role as a civil rights pioneer abundantly clear and, subsequently, argued for an embrace of his entire career's output, not just the revolutionary recordings from the 1920s. They were always kind to me, Armstrong once reflected, [I] was just a little kid who could use a little word of kindness. Apart from monetary compensation, Armstrong was given a hot meal every evening and regular invitations to Karnofsky Shabbat dinners. You have arrived to one of the most grand occasions of the year, dressed in your fanciest attire with a hundred watt smile gracing your lips. Although he is often thought of by the general public as a lovable, clowning personality, a gravel-voiced singer who played simple but dramatic trumpet in a New Orleans-styled Dixieland setting, Armstrong himself was so much more. I play the good kind (Armstrong). In 1922, his mentor, King Oliver, invited him to work his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. In 1947, the waning popularity of the big bands forced Armstrong to begin fronting a small group, Louis Armstrong and His All Stars. After recording with Oliver for over a year, Armstrong moved into what would become the most important early-jazz big band, Fletcher Hendersons Orchestra (Shipton 201). 34-56 107th Street, Queens, NY 11368 718-478-8274 2023 Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Queens, NY 11368 718-478-8274, The Louis Armstrong House Museum is a constituent of the. In 1918, he married Daisy Parker, a prostitute, commencing a stormy union marked by many arguments and acts of violence. During this time, Armstrong adopted a three-year-old boy named Clarence. In 1988, music historian Thaddeus Tad Jones located a baptismal record at New Orleanss Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. They saw Armstrong's stage persona and music as old-fashioned and criticized him in the press. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. He influenced countless other musicians and helped to shape the course of jazz. The civil rights movement was growing stronger with each passing year, with more protests, marches and speeches from African Americans wanting equal rights. WebImportance of Louis Armstrong. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. During this period, Armstrong set a number of African American "firsts." Though his popularity was hitting new highs in the 1950s, and despite breaking down so many barriers for his race and being a hero to the African American community for so many years, Armstrong began losing his standing with two segments of his audience: Modern jazz fans and young African Americans. It was on the riverboat that Armstrong honed his music reading skills and eventually had his first encounters with other jazz legends, including Bix Beiderbecke and Jack Teagarden. In the 1950s, he was sometimes criticized for his onstage persona and called an Uncle Tom but he silenced critics by speaking out against the governments handling of the Little Rock Nine high school integration crisis in 1957. Being in many bands before he was not new to this. WebLouis Armstrong was the protean genius that made African American classical music mislabeled as jazz the most important music event of the 20th century. By the end of his teens, Armstrong had grown up fast. Armstrong continued to tour extensively, despite a heart attack in June 1959. Why is Louis Armstrong important in the 20's? He moved to the Fate Marable band in the spring of 1919, staying with Marable until the fall of 1921. The book was titled Swing That Music. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. WebHe overcame poverty to become one of the most important people in the history of music. There, he received musical instruction on the cornet and fell in love with music. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet. Best Known For: Louis Armstrong was a jazz trumpeter, bandleader and singer known for songs like "What a Wonderful World, Hello, Dolly, Star Dust and "La Vie En Rose.. For the first time, Armstrong was really able to demonstrate his unique voice during those recording sessions. Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. These records later went on to become the most influential in jazz history, as it was the first time Armstrong facilitated the evolution of jazz as a ensemble to a soloist art.