LIFE AND TIMES OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG

 

Born, on 4, August 1901 - 6, July 1971; Louis Daniel Armstrong was a versatile American musician who majored on the trumpet. 

TOP 75 LOUIS ARMSTRONG SONGS PLAYLIST [VIDEO]

Being a trendsetter of his time, Satchmo (as he was popularly called) had a musical career that spanned five decades and adversely affected the general history of the music genre called Jazz.

Born in New Orleans to a prostitute mother and a runaway father, Louis Armstrong grew up under the care of his grandmother. 

Satchmo had a rather rough upbringing. His journey through life saw him work his ass off from the tender age of six as a coal salesboy, at age eleven Satchmo was bounded off to a juvenile reform school, where he was sentenced - after being arrested for shooting a gun into the air.

 Prior to his detention, he had started learning how to play the cornet. There in the juvenile reform school Satchmo played music and grew in ranks to lead the school's band, it was there his musical talent was discovered. At the juvenile reform school, Satchmo was groomed and taught music by Peter Davis. A couple of years later, Louis Armstrong regained his freedom and was posted to stay with his father and stepmother. 

Truth of the matter is that, the couple weren't comfortable living with an ex-convict of a son. It didn't take long before Satchmo got kicked out and sent back to his mother. At this point in his life, the teenager Satchmo knew it was music for him or nothing. Thus, he began music mentorship and training under Bunk Johnson. The adventurous Louis Armstrong, armed with his musical gift, and a versed knowledge on the subject matter - began to play the trumpet in street bands. This saw him being invited over to play at clubs for pay, and it was a huge shock for him when he got his first invite to play for a riverboat cruise - this brought him better pay and more fame.

His first stable job as a musician was on a Steamer Boat which traversed the Mississippi River. He was employed to play in the then popular - Fate Marable Music Band - it was at this point that Satchmo drew the eye of the popular - Kid Ory.

The 1920s took a different turn - as a young and vibrant Louis Armstrong revolutionized the music scene with his unique brand of Dixieland Jazz Music which vastly influenced the jazz culture of the time. Armed with his trumpet, the creatively inventive Satchmo took the magic out of the then popular - Group Improvisation - order of music rendition to giving the solo performance a star place in music history.

Satchmo rose to rule the Jazz scene with his powerful and uniquely husky voice - along with trumpet solos that kept his audience spellbound and always yearning for more.

Satchmo had the following musical albums to his credit:

• Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions
• Red Onions Jazz Babies
• Potato Head Blues
• Louis Armstrong Plays W.C Handy
• Ella and Louis
• Satch Plays Fats
• Hello Dolly
• Stardust
• What a Wonderful World
• When The Saints Go Marching In
• Dream a Little Dream of Me
• Ain't Misbehavin'
• You Rascal You
• Stompin' at the Savoy
• We Have All the Time in the World

Before his death at the hands of cardiac arrest, Louis Armstrong had cut across influencing - not just Jazz music - but to also be a great influencer of the trending Pop culture of his day.