Armstrong was an African American child growing up in the slums of New Orleans, close to abandonment, impoverished, and with too few constant people, resources, or homes. Armstrong's charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. He was then sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important - 1689 Words | Cram Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. That same year, Armstrong married for the fourth and final time; he wed Lucille Wilson, a Cotton Club dancer. WebThe point is that Armstrong created and codified an entire vocabulary of jazz, setting the standard for vocalists and instrumentalists. Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. In fact, before marrying his fourth wife, he made sure that she could cook a satisfactory plateful. Is Louis Copy. Love, baby - love. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. Why Louis Armstrong was important? Stwnews.org Being in many bands before he was not new to this. The bottom line of any country in the world is what did we contribute to the world? WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel (Louie) Armstrong is perhaps the most important and influential person in the history of jazz music, swing music, and jazz vocal styling. What a Wonderful World struck a chord with moviegoers and was re-released that year, becoming an oft-requested radio hit. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. Their marriage was not a happy one, however, and they divorced in 1942. The musician didn't let the incident stop him, however, and after taking a few weeks off to recover, he was back on the road, performing 300 nights a year into the 1960s. By the start of 1932, he had switched from the "race"-oriented OKeh label to its pop-oriented big sister Columbia, for which he recorded two Top Five hits, "Chinatown, My Chinatown" and "You Can Depend on Me" before scoring a number one hit with "All of Me" in March 1932; another Top Five hit, "Love, You Funny Thing," hit the charts the same month. The family treated Armstrong like a member, bought him his first trumpet, and encouraged his musical aspirations. 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. Louis Armstrong was an outstanding jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance Era. The lights dim, and the velvet curtains slide open. His lips were still sore, and there were still remnants of his mob troubles and with Lil, who, following the couple's split, was suing Armstrong. Millions of people, starting in the 1930s until today, have agreed with Louis Armstrongs famous words and have been huge fans of the famous musician. He was taken under the wing of cornetist Joe "King" Oliver, and when Oliver moved to Chicago in June 1918, Armstrong replaced him in the Kid Ory Band. His rise to the top, though not overnight, occurred quickly, he played with mostly all the major bands in New Orleans over the next few years (Friedwald 350). He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. He also took a series of small parts in motion pictures, beginning with Pennies from Heaven in December 1936, and he continued to record for Decca, resulting in the Top Ten hits "Public Melody Number One" (August 1937), "When the Saints Go Marching In" (April 1939), and "You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart)" (April 1946), the last a duet with Ella Fitzgerald. Armstrong continued touring the world and making records with songs like Blueberry Hill (1949), Mack the Knife (1955) and Hello, Dolly! His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Read Full Biography. https://www.britannica.com/facts/Louis-Armstrong, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1990), jazz: The cornetist breaks away: Louis Armstrong and the invention of swing. After a quick trip with a group of people to Venice, Mozart and his daddy returned back to his hometown Salzburg. In a 1951 interview with Esquire, Armstrong claimed to have come prepared with printed lyrics that day. His fame rose when he composed several masterworks in the 1940s. As an artist, Armstrong was embraced by two distinctly different audiences: jazz fans who revered him for his early innovations as an instrumentalist but were occasionally embarrassed by his lack of interest in later developments in jazz, especially his willingness to serve as a light entertainer; and pop fans, who delighted in his joyous performances, particularly as a vocalist, but were largely unaware of his significance as a jazz musician. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. However, a heart attack two days after the Waldorf gig sidelined him for two months. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Also in 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in. In 16967, Armstrong recorded his most renowned tune, What a Wonderful Word that surprisingly featured no trumpet. 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. 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. The year is 1954. Who Is Louis Armstrong And Why Is He Important To Jazz Music? All music is folk music. He also began appearing in the orchestra of Hot Chocolates, a Broadway revue, and was given a featured spot singing "Ain't Misbehavin'." 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. Armstrong was one of the first very popular, Being raised in a part of New Orleans known as "The Battlefield" because of its faulty economic situation is not ideal. Then along came a bare-knuckled comedy called Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). The jazz magazine Down Beat agreed. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. As a trumpet virtuoso, his playing, beginning with the 1920s studio recordings he made with his Hot Five and Hot Seven ensembles, charted a future for jazz in highly imaginative, emotionally charged improvisation. Why was Louis Armstrong important to the Harlem Renaissance? 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. In 1964, he scored a surprise hit with his recording of the title song from the Broadway musical Hello, Dolly!, which reached number one in May, followed by a gold-selling album of the same name. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. 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. Why He began following him and eventually Oliver became Armstrongs mentor. 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.. After completing the optimistic anthem, songwriters Bob Thiele and George David Weiss thought that Tony Bennett would eat it right up. Louis Armstrong was called "the single most important figure in the history of jazz" by Billboard magazine, a publication that tracks the recording industry. 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. 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. 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 1967, Armstrong recorded a new ballad, "What a Wonderful World." According to Armstrong, that nights biggest laugh came right before his group started playing You Rascal, You. Without warning, he looked straight up at the monarch and hollered, This ones for you, Rex!, Fresh off the wild success of his Hello, Dolly! cover, Armstrong made a trip to communist East Berlin in 1965, where he gave a two-hour concert that earned a standing ovation. 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. Life & Legacy Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band The many years of constant touring eventually wore down Armstrong, who had his first heart attack in 1959 and returned to intensive care at Beth Israel Hospital for heart and kidney trouble in 1968. Reel 163 Louis Armstrong, n.d. Blessed with, Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. LOUIS ARMSTRONG 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. However, Armstrong's southern background didn't mesh well with the more urban, Northern mentality of Henderson's other musicians, who sometimes gave Armstrong a hard time over his wardrobe and the way he talked. The civil rights movement was growing stronger with each passing year, with more protests, marches and speeches from African Americans wanting equal rights. For live dates, he appeared with the orchestras led by Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson. Louis continued to spread his style by touring other countries. In 1922, his mentor, King Oliver, invited him to work his Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. (She was the second of his four wives.) WebLouis Armstrong. For this, he is revered by jazz fans. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Because of Armstrongs brilliance, his records such as Cornet Chop Suey and Potato Head Blues are esteemed because of his risky rhythmic choices and high notes. See answer (1) Best Answer. He was a master of the trumpet and a skilled improviser, and his style of playing influenced many other jazz musicians. Louis Armstrong Musician Facts | Mental Floss Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. His crucial contribution to American and world culture continues to reverberate into the 21 st century. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. 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. 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. Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. 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. The first important trend in New York Jazz was Hot Jazz that was an incendiary style introduced by Louis Armstrong (Winfield 170). His career spanned many decades, from the 1920s to his death in 1971, and many different eras in jazz. The letters, dated as far back as 1968, prove that Armstrong had indeed always believed Sharon to be his daughter, and that he even paid for her education and home, among several other things, throughout his life. Armstrong returned to New York with his band for an engagement at Connie's Inn in Harlem in May 1929. Louis Armstrong, also known as the king of jazz was born on Augest 4th, 1901, in New Orleans Louisiana; he died July 6, 1971 in Corona Queens New York. He studied music there and played cornet and bugle in the school band, eventually becoming its leader. Here are 10 facts about the life of one of the 20th century's most important jazz musicians. He popularized scat singing and was the first musician to have his solo on a recording (Rodgers 85). Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. Armstrong's words made front-page news around the world. 1 hit around the world, including in England and South Africa, and eventually became one of Armstrong's most-beloved songs after it was used in the 1986 Robin Williams film Good Morning, Vietnam. Aint that stupid? (Jazz From New Orleans, Jazz music was one of the most popular music genres in the 1920s and 1930s. 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. Losing weight proved difficult at first, but his luck changed once he learned of an herbal laxative called Swiss Kriss. The artist promptly went out, bought a box, and became a lifelong spokesman. 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 completed his contract with Decca in 1954, after which his manager made the unusual decision not to sign him to another exclusive contract but instead have him freelance for different labels. How did Louis Armstrong influence others? Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy In 1918, he married Daisy Parker, a prostitute, commencing a stormy union marked by many arguments and acts of violence. His music was a happiness to individuals and they said he was a gift sent from heaven. The 1930s also found Armstrong achieving great popularity on radio, in films, and with his recordings. He spread jazz throughout the world. At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. those works included Cotton Tail and Ko-Ko. Some of his most popular songs included "It Don 't Mean a Thing if It Ain 't Got That Swing," "Sophisticated Lady," "Prelude to a Kiss," "Solitude," and "Satin Doll (Duke Ellington Biography). Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. This is where Armstrong first fell in love with music; he would listen to people playing any chance that he would get(Tirro). Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. To earn money, Armstrong sang on street corners, sold newspapers, and delivered coal. Armstrong accepted, and he was soon taking Chicago by storm with both his remarkably fiery playing and the dazzling two-cornet breaks that he shared with Oliver. 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. .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. ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. Louis Armstrong - Black History Month - LibGuides at You might be able to buy a little better booze than the wino on the corner. The Hot Fives' recording of "Muskrat Ramble" gave Armstrong a Top Ten hit in July 1926, the band for the track featuring Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lillian Harden Armstrong on piano, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. Related. His Top Ten version of "Hobo, You Can't Ride This Train," in the charts in early 1933, was on Victor Records; when he returned to the U.S. in 1935, he signed to the recently formed Decca Records and quickly scored a double-sided Top Ten hit, "I'm in the Mood for Love"/"You Are My Lucky Star.". Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington "Jazz WebAnswer (1 of 2): Armstrongs first brass instrument and initial training was on the cornet, which is generally easier for younger or beginning players to learn and slightly smaller in size. By February 1927, Armstrong was well-enough known to front his own group, Louis Armstrong & His Stompers, at the Sunset Caf in Chicago. Why is Louis Armstrong important in the 20's? He is remembered as the most influential artist in the early development of jazz. However, controversy regarding Armstrong's fatherhood struck in 1954, when a girlfriend that the musician had dated on the side, Lucille "Sweets" Preston, claimed she was pregnant with his child. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. 149 Copy quote. 2012-02-22 18:06:07. WebLouis Armstrong was the protean genius that made African American classical music mislabeled as jazz the most important music event of the 20th century. The records by Louis Armstrong and His Fiveand later, Hot Sevenare the most influential in jazz. A 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. 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). A year later, he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Study now. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. To untold millions, every note that he let loose made the world feel a bit more wonderful, and his music is still being discovered by new generations of fans. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. This newfound popularity introduced Armstrong to a new, younger audience, and he continued making both successful records and concert appearances for the rest of the decade, even cracking the "Iron Curtain" with a tour of Communist countries such as East Berlin and Czechoslovakia in 1965. Armstrong was arrested at eleven years old for disturbing the peace. In 1972, a year after his death, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. That didnt stop him from living his life like a regular boy. Why Louis Armstrong He married Lillian Harden, the pianist in the Oliver band, on February 5, 1924. He was often left with his grandmother, and left school in fifth grade to start working. Armstrong was featured in the 1969 film of Hello, Dolly!, performing the title song as a duet with Barbra Streisand. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. His career rose in New Orleans. 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. 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. He spent the next several years in Europe, his American career maintained by a series of archival recordings, including the Top Ten hits "Sweethearts on Parade" (August 1932; recorded December 1930) and "Body and Soul" (October 1932; recorded October 1930). He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. Louis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). Armstrongs mentor, King Oliver, had Armstrong move to Chicago to be in his band; in Olivers, Aside from the typical cultural, social, and political factors influencing any musicians style, an early life filled with poverty and hardship also shaped Louis Armstrongs musical development. On New Years Eve 1912, he was arrested and sent to the Colored Waifs Home for Boys. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. As swing and jazz was dominant as the pop music of the early 20th century, his influence is also evident in the transition from swing and jump blues into rock and roll. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. With his daring rhythmic choice, swinging vocabulary, and incredibly high notes; changing jazz history once again. Featuring young geniuses such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, the younger generation of musicians saw themselves as artists, not as entertainers. That's the secret. "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He sang much as he played, but with a playfulness and a rasp, that would forever be part of American culture (Winfield 167). WebHe overcame poverty to become one of the most important people in the history of music. There are two kinds of music, the good and the bad. While he was beloved by musicians, he was too wild for most critics, who gave him some of the most racist and harsh reviews of his career. Louis began playing at a young age when he was growing up in New Orleans. (Armstrong did not function as a bandleader in the usual sense, but instead typically lent his name to established groups.) Is Louis 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. Study now. Without the jazz musicians, jazz music would not have been possible. Biography - Louis Armstrong Home Museum The way they are treating my people in the South, declared Armstrong, the government can go to hell.. That same year, he became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in Pennies from Heaven, starring Bing Crosby. Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. (Biography.com), Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the first real genius of jazz(Shipton 26). West End Blues by Louis Armstrong is one of the most important songs in jazz. WebHe 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. In America, Armstrong had been a great Civil Rights pioneer, breaking down If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know. The record was released in 1964 and quickly climbed to the top of the pop music charts, hitting the No. 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. Why is Louis Armstrong important His style was unique and his talent was undeniable. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song. WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). ", Armstrong signed with Columbia Records in the mid-'50s, and soon cut some of the finest albums of his career for producer George Avakian, including Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. 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. Glaser did just that; within a few months, Armstrong had a new big band and was recording for Decca Records. Armstrong's daring vocal transformations of these songs completely changed the concept of popular singing in American popular music, and had lasting effects on all singers who came after him, including Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. The first recording of What a Wonderful World was produced by ABC Records, which made no attempt to advertise it domestically. Satch Plays Fats, a tribute to Fats Waller, became a Top Ten LP for Columbia in October 1955, and Verve Records contracted Armstrong for a series of recordings with Ella Fitzgerald, beginning with the chart LP Ella and Louis in 1956. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. His distinctive sound and style have had a lasting impact on the genre, and he was a major influence on subsequent generations of jazz musicians. You feel butterflies in your stomach as you take your seat. Armstrong's home in Corona, Queens was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977; today, the house is home to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which annually receives thousands of visitors from all over the world. There were many jazz musicians. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. His mother, Mayann, was 15 years old when he was born and his father, Willie, abandoned them soon after. Armstrong had gained sufficient individual notice to make his recording debut as a leader on November 12, 1925. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. Louis Armstrong WebLouis Armstrong was the protege of King Oliver and one of the best loved musicians of the Twenties. Unhappy, Armstrong left Henderson in 1925 to return to Chicago, where he began playing with his wife's band at the Dreamland Caf. Armstrong's new manager, Joe Glaser, organized a big band for him that had its premiere in Indianapolis on July 1, 1935; for the next several years, he toured regularly. He performed less frequently in the late '60s and early '70s, and died of a heart ailment in 1971 at the age of 69. 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. He influenced countless other musicians and helped to shape the course of jazz. Why is Louis Armstrong He made his film debut in Ex-Flame, released at the end of 1931. Flappers were commonly known during this time. Armstrong's popularity continued to grow in Chicago throughout the decade, as he began playing other venues, including the Sunset Caf and the Savoy Ballroom.