He was often left with his grandmother, and left school in fifth grade to start working. (Biography.com), Many people knew Louis Armstrong as the first real genius of jazz(Shipton 26). 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. Thereafter until his death in 1971, however, Armstrong never publicly addressed whether he was in fact Sharon's father. 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. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. 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. You might be able to buy a little better booze than the wino on the corner. Armstrong continued to appear in major films with the likes of Mae West, Martha Raye and Dick Powell. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. 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. With his daring rhythmic choice, swinging vocabulary, and incredibly high notes; changing jazz history once again. During this time, Armstrong taught the band how to swing. What a Wonderful World struck a chord with moviegoers and was re-released that year, becoming an oft-requested radio hit. A YouTube poster named pandasthumb describes the piece. Featuring young geniuses such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, the younger generation of musicians saw themselves as artists, not as entertainers. 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. In July, Armstrong sailed to England for a tour. 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. Released from the Waifs Home in 1914, Armstrong set his sights on becoming a professional musician. Evidently, the show went well. Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Armstrong continued touring the world and making records with songs like Blueberry Hill (1949), Mack the Knife (1955) and Hello, Dolly! He began following him and eventually Oliver became Armstrongs mentor. Armstrong had access to guns and decided to borrow a .38 that one of his stepfathers stored in a trunk in the Armstrong home (67). Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. ", 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.". The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic, American actress, singer, director, producer. The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. Since his death, Armstrong's stature has only continued to grow. By that point, Armstrong began dating the pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. 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. The single's B-side, and also a chart entry, was "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," sung by Armstrong in the film The Strip. Armstrong spent his youth singing on the street for spare change, but he didnt receive any formal musical training until age 11. We all do 'do re mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. Mozart had written over 600 pieces of works, many acknowledged his pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Show More. His style was unique and his talent was undeniable. Louis was able to get hired as a junk collecter and coal deliverer. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! But Armstrong also became an enduring figure in popular music due to his distinctively phrased baritone singing and engaging personality, which were on display in a series of vocal recordings and film roles. 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. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. A young pianist from Pittsburgh, Earl Hines, assimilated Armstrong's ideas into his piano playing. 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. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. In 1972, a year after his death, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. Armstrong continued to tour extensively, despite a heart attack in June 1959. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of He grew up in New Orleans where he introduced to jazz and he went on to spread jazz throughout different cities such as Chicago and New York. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. All Rights Reserved. In 1993, it gained renewed popularity when it was used in the film Sleepless in Seattle. Additionally, he became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show in 1937, when he took over Rudy Vallee's Fleischmann's Yeast Show for 12 weeks. 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. WebDid You Know? 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). Perhaps most importantly, the letters also detail Armstrong's fatherly love for Sharon. Though he was the product's biggest cheerleader, Armstrong neither requested nor received any payment from its manufacturers. 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. After a quick trip with a group of people to Venice, Mozart and his daddy returned back to his hometown Salzburg. 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. The 1930s also found Armstrong achieving great popularity on radio, in films, and with his recordings. 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. 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 a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. Louis Armstrong is one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. Together, Armstrong and Hines formed a potent team and made some of the greatest recordings in jazz history in 1928, including their virtuoso duet, "Weather Bird," and "West End Blues.". He was an all-star virtuoso, and came to prominence in the 1920s playing cornet and trumpet with an excitingly new and improvisational style. Wiki User. For the first time, Armstrong was really able to demonstrate his unique voice during those recording sessions. That's the secret. Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. He was also a gifted singer, and his By the summer of 1970, Armstrong was allowed to perform publicly again and play the trumpet. Without the jazz musicians, jazz music would not have been possible. The tune did, however, become a No. 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 Armstrong began to sing on the records, creating a new form of singing, scat singing. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. The song for which Pops is most widely remembered, What a Wonderful World, was almost never his song at all. Wiki User. In recent years, Armstrong's alleged daughter, who now goes by the name Sharon Preston Folta, has publicized various letters between her and her father. He influenced countless other musicians and helped to shape the course of jazz. Career highlights, compiled by the Louis Armstrong House Museum: 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. 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 was featured in the 1969 film of Hello, Dolly!, performing the title song as a duet with Barbra Streisand. 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. He worked for to get his instrument because his mother couldn't afford to buy him one. He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. (Hakim, 58) Although Jazz was very popular itself, a majority of the fans and listeners were younger people. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. Although the ballad topped the 1968 charts in Great Britain, American sales were abysmal. 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. WebLouis Armstrong. 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. Jazz is a genre of music that brought a whole community of people together. Louis Armstrong was an American jazz musician who was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. He made his film debut in Ex-Flame, released at the end of 1931. During his span, he composed thousands of songs for everyone to hear. 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. 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 to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Hes a professional jazz performer who played with Oliver and Henderson. He married Lillian Harden, the pianist in the Oliver band, on February 5, 1924. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. If the gun was not so easily accessible, his firing it and being arrested could have been prevented. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Making money ain't nothing exciting to me. See answer (1) Best Answer. He popularized scat singing and was the first musician to have his solo on a recording (Rodgers 85). 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. His influence, both as an artist and It was also for Columbia that Armstrong scored one of the biggest hits of his career: His jazz transformation of Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife. Armstrong was a busy man, he always had more than one thing going on, if he wasnt recording with Hot Five/Seven, he was performing in the Vendome theatre, playing music for silent movies.. 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. During this period, Armstrong set a number of African American "firsts." 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. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. Louis Armstrong is one of the first great soloists in the 1920s musicians. Born in 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Armstrong had a difficult childhood. He performed less frequently in the late '60s and early '70s, and died of a heart ailment in 1971 at the age of 69. 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. 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. Louis Armstrong was a pivotal musician in the twentieth century, but it was his contributions and his role he made during the Harlem Renaissance movement that is most substantial. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. The passion for his music made him become famous because he was following his dreams while finding his, How Is Louis Daniel Armstrong Morally Responsible, Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) grew up in a poor neighborhood nicknamed The Battlefield in New Orleans, Louisiana. Renowned for his charming and incredibly charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet and/or cornet playing, Armstrong 's influence extends far beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the early 1970s at his death, he was widely regarded as a deep and profound influence on popular music in general. 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. ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. Armstrong was featured nightly on Ain't Misbehavin', breaking up the crowds of (mostly white) theatergoers nightly. Armstrong practiced his instrument and eventually he became the jazz great everyone knows today. 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. Its definitely worth checking out. 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. 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. He also learned to sing. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. Armstrong used to say that hed been born on July 4, 1900. This essay will have an introduction of the king of jazz music -- Louis Armstrong and his great influence on jazz history. 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. 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. With the decline of swing music in the post-World War II years, Armstrong broke up his big band and put together a small group dubbed His All-Stars, which made its debut in Los Angeles on August 13, 1947. He sang much as he played, but with a playfulness and a rasp, that would forever be part of American culture (Winfield 167). Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. It has given me something to live for. Outraged, Armstrong refused to stage another concert within the state's borders. 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. He took up work in Joe (King) Olivers house, doing chores in exchange for musical lessons, developing into a. Louis Armstrong is a man of many talents and skills known for creating a new environment, especially in his home town of New Orleans. He played dramatic works of simple structure in Orleans jazz style and with the accompaniment of Dick jazz music.
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