Louis Armstrong

The life story of African American jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong could fill a dozen books, and in fact it has. Rising to fame with his own "Hot Five" group in the 1920s, "Satchmo" Armstrong (the nickname is derived from "Satchelmouth"; incidentally, he was known to his closest friends as "Pops") was a seasoned pro when movies began demanding his services in 1930. His earliest film appearances-- notably the Betty Boop cartoon (!) I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You (32)--exemplified the "dangerous," sexually suggestive Armstrong who had become famous in nightclubs and on 78 RPM records. The racial barriers of 1930s Hollywood required Armstrong to smooth out his rough edges and sometimes to come in through the servant's entrance; in 1938's Going Places, for example, he appears as a stableboy, and introduces the lively but comparatively antiseptic ditty "Jeepers Creepers." Armstrong was serendipitously teamed with Bing Crosby on two memorable occasions: the 1936 musical drama Pennies From Heaven and the 1956 tune-filled remake of Philadelphia Story, High Society. Usually cast as himself (or a thinly disguised facsimile), Louis was given a rare chance to act in the 1943 all-black MGM musical Cabin in the Sky, playing the heavenly emissary "The Trumpeter." In 1964, Louis Armstrong scored so huge a hit with his recording of the title tune from the Broadway musical Hello Dolly that he was arbitrarily written into the 1969 film version, sharing a few precious on-screen moments with Barbra Streisand; it was the last of his 25 feature-film appearances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

• Also Credited As:
  Louie Armstrong, Louis Armstrong, Louis Daniel Armstrong, Louis E. Armstrong
• Born:
  August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
• Died:
  July 6, 1971.
• Job Titles:
  Musician, Actor, Singer, Writer, Coal seller, Laborer, Newspaper vendor

Family

• Father: Willie Armstrong. abandoned family shortly after Louis birth
• Grandmother: Lucy. raised Armstrong and his sister
• Half-brother: Henry Armstrong. survived him
• Half-brother: William Armstrong. survived him
• Mother: Mary Ann Albert. was 15 when she gave birth to Louis; left Armstrong and his sister in her mother s care
• Sister: Beatrice Armstrong Collins. survived him
• Son: Clarence Hatfield. adopted; survived him

Milestones

• 1913 Arrested on New Year s Eve after discharging a pistol in the air
• 1917 Played in various bands in Storyville
• 1919 Joined Fate Marable s band in St. Louis, Missouri
• 1922 Invited to join Joe Oliver s Creole Jazz Band; played second coronet
• 1924 Spent a year playing with Fletcher Henderson s Orchestra
• 1924 At wife s urging, left Oliver and moved to NYC
• 1925 Made first recordings for Okeh Records with the Hot Five and the Hot Seven bands
• 1925 Moved to Chicago and joined wife Lillian Hardin s musical group; performed at the Dreamland
• 1928 Headed back to NYC
• 1929 Made popular recording of Fats Waller s song Ain t Misbehavin
• 1929 Played in the pit orchestra for the all-Black revue Hot Chocolates
• 1930 Relocated to L.A.; fronted the Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra
• 1936 Appeared in the movie musical Pennies From Heaven
• Began playing on recording sessions for blues singers like Bessie Smith
• Began playing trumpet in the 1930s
• Born in the Storyville section of New Orleans, Louisiana
• Sent to live at the Colored Waif s Home for Boys ; received first exposure to musical training
• Toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe