Louis Armstrong

Herbert Behrens / Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

American Trumpeter and Singer • August 4, 1901- July 6, 1971 • American Jazz

Fast Facts

• Born in New Orleans, Louisiana and then moved to Chicago and settled in Queens, New York.
• He began to play the cornet under the direction of Peter Davis when he was 11 years old. 
• Known as the “Father of Jazz Music,” his career spanned over five decades from the 1920’s to the 1960’s.
• Best known for his improvisational skills, scat singing, trumpet playing, compositional skills and stage presence.
• He was in movies, appeared on TV, on radio shows, in night clubs, theatres, dance halls and was a world famous entertainer. 
• He would perform up to 300 live shows a year on average.
• The music of Hot Seven and Hot Five catapulted Armstrong to jazz fame in the 1920’s.
• Entered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 for “early influence.”
• Several songs have been included in the Grammy Hall of Fame for their importance including “Mack the Knife,” “Hello Dolly,” and “What a Wonderful World.”