His rise to fame peaked in the 1920s, where he stunned the world with his bold trumpet style and idiosyncratic vocals. His greatest inspiration was Joe King Oliver. Armstrong's charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. 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. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He was a groundbreaking musician and a pioneer in the development of jazz music. Louis Armstrong recorded many popular songs like La Vie en Rose, and his theme song When its Sleepy Time Down South. Armstrong was still a popular attraction around the world in 1963, but hadn't made a record in two years. 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. Together with his mom, they moved to a better area of New Orleans. Louis Daniel (Louie) Armstrong is perhaps the most important and influential person in the history of jazz music, swing music, and jazz vocal styling. This led some to alter his long-time nickname, Satchmo, to "Ambassador Satch.". ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. Pillars of Life 3 y Related Why was jazz so important? Released from the Waifs Home in 1914, Armstrong set his sights on becoming a professional musician. 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. 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. His mother, Mayann, was 15 years old when he was born and his father, Willie, abandoned them soon after. Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. Armstrong had a difficult childhood: His father was a factory worker and abandoned the family soon after Louis's birth. Ironically, Armstrong later wrote the whole thing off as a big blunder on his part. An all-star virtuoso, he came to prominence in the 1920s, influencing countless musicians with both his daring trumpet style and unique vocals. (Biography.com), Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the first real genius of jazz(Shipton 26). But, as a Bayou State native, Armstrongs favorite dish was always rice and beans. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Rihanna and 10 Other Great Pregnant Performances, Burt Bacharachs Legacy: 5 Notable Collaborations, 2023 Grammy Awards: Six Winners Who Made History. Their marriage was not a happy one, however, and they divorced in 1942. .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. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song. 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. Bebop, a new form of jazz, had blossomed in the 1940s. 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. Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. In 1967, Armstrong recorded a new ballad, "What a Wonderful World." He showed an early interest in music, and a junk dealer for whom he worked as a grade-school student helped him buy a cornet, which he taught himself to play. WebCourtesy of the Louis Armstrong Archive Queens College, CUNY. He married Lillian Harden, the pianist in the Oliver band, on February 5, 1924. 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. 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. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music. 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). 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). Aint that stupid? Here are 10 facts about the life of one of the 20th century's most important jazz musicians. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in 1901. He recorded several songs throughout his career, including he is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World. 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. 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. Heebie Jeebies and Hotter Than That, was some of the earliest recordings of Armstrongs scat singing., He was a major piece in the history of jazz music and his career lasted for more than 50 years. 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. Being in many bands before he was not new to this. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. What made jazz continuously popular was the way it progressed. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. In a 1951 interview with Esquire, Armstrong claimed to have come prepared with printed lyrics that day. 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. He also began appearing in the orchestra of Hot Chocolates, a Broadway revue, and was given a featured spot singing "Ain't Misbehavin'." 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. Why is Louis Armstrong important in the 20's? Born, August 4, 1901 he started off in a harder life than most people usually do. Why is Louis Armstrong important to blacks? Why was Louis Armstrong important to New Orleans? Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. Armstrong was brought up by his mother, Mary (Albert) Armstrong, and his maternal grandmother. There, he received musical instruction on the cornet and fell in love with music. He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called The Battlefield. He only had a fifth-grade education, dropping out of school early to go to work. He found that the only way to reap the benefits of success and be protected was if there was a white captain to back you in the old days (Armstrong). Evidently, the show went well. We all do 'do re mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself. 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. 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. The tune did, however, become a No. Copy. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. .State Department and earning the nickname "Ambassador Satch." He performed in Europe for the first time in 1932 and returned in 1933, staying for over a year because of a damaged lip. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. 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. 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. Similarly, many of his most influential recordings, like 1928's "West End Blues" and 1955's "Mack the Knife," have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. 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. WebThe point is that Armstrong created and codified an entire vocabulary of jazz, setting the standard for vocalists and instrumentalists. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans Louisinana, to Mayann, and Willie Armstrong. Louis does a really important trip to Africa this were the states or cities that he went with Cameroon, the Belgian Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone Jul 6, 1971. The sadest event Two days after his birthday of turning 70, Louis 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. If Armstrong never bought the cornet he would have never become famous. 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. For live dates, he appeared with the orchestras led by Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. He was also a frequent presence on radio, and often broke box-office records at the height of what is now known as the "Swing Era. Today, these are generally regarded as the most important and influential recordings in jazz history; on these records, Armstrong's virtuoso brilliance helped transform jazz from an ensemble music to a soloist's art. West End Blues by Louis Armstrong is one of the most important songs in jazz. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. He dropped out of school at 11 to join an informal group, but on December 31, 1912, he fired a gun during a New Year's Eve celebration, and was sent to reform school. After trying it, he said that defecation sounded like Applause. Enamored, the musician began handing out packets to admirers, loved ones, and band members. 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). Pops had a special place in his heart for both Chinese and Italian food. 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. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. 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. He returned to Broadway in the short-lived musical Swingin' the Dream in November 1939. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. Louis Armstrongs significance and most famous songs In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography. Although the ballad topped the 1968 charts in Great Britain, American sales were abysmal. WebHe overcame poverty to become one of the most important people in the history of music. 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. See answer (1) Best Answer. 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. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. 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. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus sent in the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine nine African American students from entering the public school. That same year, Armstrong married for the fourth and final time; he wed Lucille Wilson, a Cotton Club dancer. With his daring rhythmic choice, swinging vocabulary, and incredibly high notes; changing jazz history once again. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. The family treated Armstrong like a member, bought him his first trumpet, and encouraged his musical aspirations. Related. 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. He is also the first African American celebrity to appear in a major Hollywood movie. Armstrong was obligated to leave school in the fifth grade to begin working. He was one of America's most significant artists by the late 1930s, and had created a sensation in Europe with live performances and records. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. 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. 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. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. But many of his recorded performances are masterpieces, and none are less than entertaining. Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. That's the secret. 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. 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). 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. 232) Armstrong unlike other black jazz men and women, was one of the first to be welcomed in the upper echelons of white society. However, had his upbringing been different, his musical talents may never have been established to grow and thrive into one of the most internationally influential jazz musicians ever. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Show More. 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. He spread jazz throughout the world. Read Full Biography. 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. 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 defined what it was to play Jazz. During this period, he switched from cornet to trumpet. The records by Louis Armstrong and His Fiveand later, Hot Sevenare the most influential in jazz. 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. Many great performers have come out of the jazz industry, but the most widely known is Louis Satchmo Armstrong. Louis Armstrong is one of the first great soloists in the 1920s musicians. Career highlights, compiled by the Louis Armstrong House Museum: Louis's Father left him around childbirth, and his mother often used prostitution for money. While he still had to work odd jobs selling newspapers and hauling coal to the city's famed red-light district, Armstrong began earning a reputation as a fine blues player. 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. After they married in 1924, Hardin made it clear that she felt Oliver was holding Armstrong back. 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.. Armstrong returned to New York with his band for an engagement at Connie's Inn in Harlem in May 1929. 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. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. 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. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. The story behind the jazz legends final hit and, quite simply, one of the most beautiful songs ever written. By 1968, Armstrong's grueling lifestyle had finally caught up with him. He was also a gifted singer, and his WebImportance of Louis Armstrong. Jazz was born there and I remember when it was no crime for cats of any color to get together and blow. Nine years later, after this ban had finally lifted, he again took the stage in New Orleans on October 31, 1965. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens.
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