Louis Armstrong is an artist who needs no introduction. His incredible skill with the trumpet and his iconic voice allowed him to carve a career for himself in the music industry. His incredible performances personally inspired me to sing jazz. So to honor the memory of arguably one of the best jazz artists in history, let’s go over his early life, career, and his rise to fame.
His Early Life
Born in New Orleans on August 4th, 1901, Louis Armstrong was raised by his grandmother till the age of five. After the age of five, he returned to live with his mother, and by the age of six, he made his way to doing odd jobs for the Karnoffskys, a family of Lithuanian Jews. At the age of seven, he heard a spasm band playing music out of household objects as he was selling coal in Storyville.
Almost four years after hearing spasm bands throughout the city, Louis Armstrong dropped out of school and followed his dream to become a musician. He soon joined a group of other young, talented, and driven boys who would sing on the streets.
After moving from home to home, and relative to relative, he found himself back where he started; in The Battlefield with his mother and sister. However, he didn’t let go of his love for music and found work for Henry Ponce, who owned a dance hall near his town. Over there, young Armstrong met Black Bunny, a six-foot-tall drummer who became his bodyguard and his guide.
Early Career
With a little bit of luck, Armstrong managed to get a gig on riverboats as well as with brass bands throughout New Orleans. His small-time gigs on riverboats allowed him to cross paths with Fate Marable, who was impressed by Louis Armstrong’s incredible skill and talent. Fate Marable then moved onto teaching young Armstrong sight-reading, which Armstrong – when looking back at this experience – referred to as him going to university.
Within four years, he matured his musicianship under the tutelage of Marable. And by 1922, with the invitation of King Oliver, he moved to Chicago and starred in Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. From there, his music career shined bright as he was finally making enough money to leave his day jobs and focus on making music. While performing with the Creole Jazz Band, he sang a few times to the sound of roaring applause.
Even his first studio recordings came with Oliver and his incredible band between April 5th and 6th in 1923. From there, the horizons only looked brighter for the jazz pianist and trumpeter.
Awards, Honors, and Influence
After enduring a few ups and downs during his early career, Louis Armstrong went on to become a beloved American icon as well as a cultural ambassador. His skill and technique demanded the attention of international audiences. As he stacked up awards and honors, he was running out of space on his shelf.
He won the Grammy Award for best male vocal performance of "Hello Dolly" in 1964. The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded Armstrong with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972. Twelve of his recordings made their way into the Grammy hall of fame, including songs like “What a wonderful world,” “Hello, Dolly!,” and St. Louis Blues, among many others.
Armstrong’s influence went much further than jazz, as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed one of his songs out of the 500 others that shaped Rock and Roll. The song in question was West End Blues by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five.
Louis Armstrong is one of the greatest jazz musicians to ever live, and his incredible talent, along with his drive, made him an inspiration for millions, including myself!