Back in America in 1935, Armstrong hired Joe Glaser as his manager and began fronting a big band, recording pop songs for Decca, and appearing regularly in movies. Armstrong had a difficult childhood: His father was a factory worker and abandoned the family soon after Louis's birth. No ones quite sure why Armstrong lied about his age, but the most popular theories maintain he wanted to join a military band or that he figured he'd have a better shot at landing gigs if he was over 18 years old. His mother, Mayann, was 15 years old when he was born and his father, Willie, abandoned them soon after. He started as a soloist for Henderson after marrying Lil Hardin. Armstrong was featured nightly on Ain't Misbehavin', breaking up the crowds of (mostly white) theatergoers nightly. Armstrong had gained sufficient individual notice to make his recording debut as a leader on November 12, 1925. Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy | National Portrait Gallery Who Is Louis Armstrong And Why Is He Important To Jazz Music? Louis Armstrong is one of the first great soloists in the 1920s musicians. He was abandoned by his father, a boiler stoker, shortly after his birth and was raised by his paternal grandmother. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music. Instead he used his talent as a ticket to improve his lot and create a meaningful life. In July, Armstrong sailed to England for a tour. Louis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). 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. While only a DNA test could officially prove whether a blood relationship does exist between Armstrong and Sharon and one has never been conducted between the two believers and skeptics can at least agree on one thing: Sharon's uncanny resemblance to the jazz legend. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. 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. Finding Yourself, Dropping, Halfway. In 1993, it gained renewed popularity when it was used in the film Sleepless in Seattle. Then along came a bare-knuckled comedy called Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). 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). However, a heart attack two days after the Waldorf gig sidelined him for two months. There are two kinds of music, the good and the bad. During his span, he composed thousands of songs for everyone to hear. 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. Previously, Armstrong had performed throughout Europe, Asia, and Africathough he famously canceled a planned 1957 Soviet Union tour, citing the recent Little Rock crisis. ", Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a neighborhood so poor that it was nicknamed "The Battlefield.". WebLouis Armstrongas a musician, as a man, as an icon. Each of the books on jazz music will mention his name. He attended school until he was in the 5th grade, he stopped going to help support his family. WebLouis Armstrong was a key asset to the Harlem Renaissance due to his inspiring music and playing his instruments for African Americans people during this period. Flappers were commonly known during this time. He attended Colored Waifs Home in 1913 for eighteen months. Louis Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo," "Pops" and, later, "Ambassador Satch," was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. He was then sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. He weathered the bebop period of the '40s, growing ever more beloved worldwide. Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz figures. He would attend parades, funerals, churches and go to cheap cabarets to be able to hear some of the greats play, Little Louis sung in a vocal quartet in his early teens. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography: Swing That Music. Why Louis Armstrong Musician Facts | Mental Floss The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. Death Year: 1971, Death date: July 6, 1971, Death State: New York, Death City: Corona, Queens, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Louis Armstrong Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/louis-armstrong, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: January 29, 2021, Original Published Date: April 3, 2014. Handy and Satch Plays Fats. 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. His music had had a major effect on "swing" and the big band sound. In fifth grade, while being taken care of by his maternal grandmother most of the time, he left school to work. Perhaps most importantly, the letters also detail Armstrong's fatherly love for Sharon. 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. It won him a Grammy for best vocal performance. Since his death, Armstrong's stature has only continued to grow. To earn money, Armstrong sang on street corners, sold newspapers, and delivered coal. WebHe overcame poverty to become one of the most important people in the history of music. Evidently, the show went well. Copy. He turned to Joe Glaser for help; Glaser had mob ties of his own, having been close with Al Capone, but he had loved Armstrong from the time he met him at the Sunset Caf (Glaser had owned and managed the club). If the gun was not so easily accessible, his firing it and being arrested could have been prevented. There, under the tutelage of Peter Davis, he learned how to properly play the cornet, eventually becoming the leader of the Waifs Home Brass Band. 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. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrongs Iconic Ballad While performing with Tate in 1926, Armstrong finally switched from the cornet to the trumpet. WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). If Armstrong never bought the cornet he would have never become famous. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens. West End Blues by Louis Armstrong is one of the most important songs in jazz. 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. he is important because he was the first black singer. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. By the summer of 1970, Armstrong was allowed to perform publicly again and play the trumpet. 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. He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. 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. They also encouraged him to sing and often invited him into their home for meals. Ironically, Armstrong later wrote the whole thing off as a big blunder on his part. Why was Louis Armstrong always smiling He performed all over the world in the 1950s and '60s, including throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. Love, baby - love. Armstrong brought. The first important trend in New York Jazz was Hot Jazz that was an incendiary style introduced by Louis Armstrong (Winfield 170). In 1937, Louis Armstrong became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show. Louis's Father left him around childbirth, and his mother often used prostitution for money. ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. At the school he learned to play cornet. Armstrong sang his heart out on the number, thinking of his home in Queens as he did so, but "What a Wonderful World" received little promotion in the United States. 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 returned to Broadway in the short-lived musical Swingin' the Dream in November 1939. Why Louis Armstrong was important? Louis Armstrong WebLouis Armstrong. The 1930s also found Armstrong achieving great popularity on radio, in films, and with his recordings. Given that Armstrong was only 11, it was (one of) his stepfathers who was responsible for the whole series of events. 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. It started in New Orleans and over the years, stretched out throughout the whole United States. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Louis Armstrong 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. He also began singing on these recordings, popularizing wordless "scat singing" with his hugely popular vocal on 1926's "Heebie Jeebies.". Some even theorize that it was Armstrongs difficult upbringing that made his music so wise, so unique, and so revolutionary. Related. Study now. Although the ballad topped the 1968 charts in Great Britain, American sales were abysmal. By the end of his teens, Armstrong had grown up fast. Louis Armstrong Aint that stupid? WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). He worked for to get his instrument because his mother couldn't afford to buy him one. Armstrong spent his youth singing on the street for spare change, but he didnt receive any formal musical training until age 11. If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know. WebDid You Know? Armstrong was obligated to leave school in the fifth grade to begin working. He performed less frequently in the late '60s and early '70s, and died of a heart ailment in 1971 at the age of 69. Armstrong continued a grueling touring schedule into the late '50s, and it caught up with him in 1959, when he had a heart attack while traveling in Spoleto, Italy. Armstrong soon began dating the female pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. Why was Louis Armstrong important to the Harlem Renaissance? Armstrong made his first trip abroad, to Europe, and received the nickname Satchmo from his original nickname Satchelmouth, because of his big lips. 2012-02-22 18:06:07. Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. 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. ", 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.". Louis did his first performance on stage in 1930 to spread his Jazz style. But you get sick just like the next cat and when you die you're just as graveyard dead as he is. To many young jazz listeners at the time, Armstrong's ever-smiling demeanor seemed like it was from a bygone era, and the trumpeter's refusal to comment on politics for many years only furthered perceptions that he was out of touch. Since New Orleans style jazz known to man, it was one of the broadest genres of jazz. At the start of Armstrongs career, he married Daisy Parker. At His Majestys command, several of the biggest names in jazz took their talents to Buckingham Palace, and in 1932, Armstrong was requested for a royal performance. 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. The year is 1954. Jelly Roll, Doctor Jazz, Original Jelly Roll Blues, and many other famous pieces. Because of his long improvised solos, he inspired jazz so that long solos became an important part of jazz pieces and performances. 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. Glaser did just that; within a few months, Armstrong had a new big band and was recording for Decca Records. Armstrong was featured in the 1969 film of Hello, Dolly!, performing the title song as a duet with Barbra Streisand. Also in 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in. 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. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important - 1689 Words | Cram Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. Why is Louis Armstrong important in the 20's? Jazz Giant Louis Armstrong Was Born - America's Library He was also a talented singer, and his recordings of songs like What a 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. For this, he is revered by jazz fans. Many great performers have come out of the jazz industry, but the most widely known is Louis Satchmo Armstrong. 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. Armstrong had a great influence on Henderson and his arranger, Don Redman, both of whom began integrating Armstrong's swinging vocabulary into their arrangementstransforming Henderson's band into what is generally regarded as the first jazz big band. 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. Career highlights, compiled by the Louis Armstrong House Museum: I think to myself, what a wonderful world. 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..
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