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. 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). Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. This was the first time anyone had ever recorded this technique known as scat singing. Louis Armstrong, also known as the king of jazz was born on Augest 4th, 1901, in New Orleans Louisiana; he died July 6, 1971 in Corona Queens New York. By February 1927, Armstrong was well-enough known to front his own group, Louis Armstrong & His Stompers, at the Sunset Caf in Chicago. WebDid You Know? The year 1956 saw Louisiana prohibit integrated bands. Aristotle did not consider children as morally responsible as adults because they have not had sufficient time to move beyond their backgrounds and upbringing. Louis Armstrong was the first black man in the U.S. to host a radio show. His crucial contribution to American and world culture continues to reverberate into the 21 st century. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. His stop-time solos on numbers like "Cornet Chop Suey" and "Potato Head Blues" changed jazz history, featuring daring rhythmic choices, swinging phrasing and incredible high notes. This pop success was repeated internationally four years later with "What a Wonderful World," which hit number one in the U.K. in April 1968. Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. The jazz magazine Down Beat agreed. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. These views changed in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis on television. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. 232) Armstrong unlike other black jazz men and women, was one of the first to be welcomed in the upper echelons of white society. 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. Louis Armstrong. Making money ain't nothing exciting to me. A young pianist from Pittsburgh, Earl Hines, assimilated Armstrong's ideas into his piano playing. He is also the first African American celebrity to appear in a major Hollywood movie. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. His rise to fame peaked in the 1920s, where he stunned the world with his bold trumpet style and idiosyncratic vocals. In 1922, King Oliver sent for Armstrong to join his band in Chicago. 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. Shortly thereafter, Armstrong bragged about the child to his manager, Joe Glaser, in a letter that would later be published in the book Louis Armstrong In His Own Words (1999). 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. 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. After a quick trip with a group of people to Venice, Mozart and his daddy returned back to his hometown Salzburg. When Armstrong was eleven years old, he got in trouble for shooting a gun on New Years Eve to ring in the new year, 1912. After completing the optimistic anthem, songwriters Bob Thiele and George David Weiss thought that Tony Bennett would eat it right up. Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. He is remembered as the most influential artist in the early development of jazz. WebHe had a string of pop hits beginning in 1949 and started making regular overseas tours, where his popularity was so great, he was dubbed Ambassador Satch. In America, Armstrong had been a great Civil Rights pioneer, breaking down The year is 1954. His style was unique and his talent was undeniable. Armstrong was an African American child growing up in the slums of New Orleans, close to abandonment, impoverished, and with too few constant people, resources, or homes. They saw Armstrong's stage persona and music as old-fashioned and criticized him in the press. He moved to the Fate Marable band in the spring of 1919, staying with Marable until the fall of 1921. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Then along came a bare-knuckled comedy called Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). Aint that stupid? Born, August 4, 1901 he started off in a harder life than most people usually do. Its popularity brought many people together, even through the years of racial discrimination and the Great Depression. Louis Armstrong recorded many popular songs like La Vie en Rose, and his theme song When its Sleepy Time Down South. 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. How did Louis Armstrong influence others? Willies habit of devoting all his attention to his second, Because firing guns to welcome in the New Year was a New Orleans custom, he thought (even at 11 years old) that it would be morally acceptable to fire the gun. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! Why Is Louis Armstrong Important. He was then sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. The Hot Fives' recording of "Muskrat Ramble" gave Armstrong a Top Ten hit in July 1926, the band for the track featuring Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, Lillian Harden Armstrong on piano, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. An all-star virtuoso, he came to prominence in the 1920s, influencing countless musicians with both his daring trumpet style and unique vocals. The book was titled Swing That Music. Louis was born in New Orleans where he grew up and learned to play the trumpet. Instead he used his talent as a ticket to improve his lot and create a meaningful life. It did not gain as much notice in the U.S. until 1987, when it was used in the film Good Morning, Vietnam, after which it became a Top 40 hit. We contributed Louis Armstrong. It won him a Grammy for best vocal performance. 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. ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. To untold millions, every note that he let loose made the world feel a bit more wonderful, and his music is still being discovered by new generations of fans. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. You feel butterflies in your stomach as you take your seat. .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. Armstrong felt that being subservient to white people, was an unfortunately necessary evil in order for him to live successfully and happily. His music was a happiness to individuals and they said he was a gift sent from heaven. He weathered the bebop period of the '40s, growing ever more beloved worldwide. He embarked on his first European tour since 1935 in February 1948, and thereafter toured regularly around the world. The family treated Armstrong like a member, bought him his first trumpet, and encouraged his musical aspirations. By 1932, Armstrong, who was now known as Satchmo, had begun appearing in movies and made his first tour of England. In a 1951 interview with Esquire, Armstrong claimed to have come prepared with printed lyrics that day. 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. 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. Why is Louis Armstrong important to blacks? 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. The solos Armstrong performed along with his popular scat singing helped make jazz musicians more popular along with making the fans take notice of Armstrong and jazz itself (Rennert 8). 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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. 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. WebThe point is that Armstrong created and codified an entire vocabulary of jazz, setting the standard for vocalists and instrumentalists. 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. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. 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. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. 149 Copy quote. In 1914, the home released him, and he immediately began dreaming of a life making music. 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. During his span, he composed thousands of songs for everyone to hear. Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S LOUIS ARMSTRONG FACT CARD, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Louis Armstrong, Birth Year: 1901, Birth date: August 4, 1901, Birth State: Louisiana, Birth City: New Orleans, Birth Country: United States, Best Known For: 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., Astrological Sign: Leo. He didn't own an instrument at this time, If one was to go out into the street, walked up to a random stranger and asked them if they knew who Louis Armstrong was, chances are that they would be able to answer you correctly. By the summer of 1970, Armstrong was allowed to perform publicly again and play the trumpet. In the 1980s and '90s, younger African American jazz musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis and Nicholas Payton began speaking about Armstrong's importance, both as a musician and a human being. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. Why was Louis Armstrong so important? Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. 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. He popularized scat singing and was the first musician to have his solo on a recording (Rodgers 85). Armstrong fronted the Luis Russell Orchestra for a tour of the South in February 1930, and in May went to Los Angeles, where he led a band at Sebastian's Cotton Club for the next ten months. Turns out, he was 13 months off. He studied music there and played cornet and bugle in the school band, eventually becoming its leader. Louis was the illegitimate son of William Armstrong and Mary Est Mayann Albert. Dancers loved Hendersons music making Louis Armstrong a celebrity so when he left his old band, this would be a step up. For the first time, Armstrong was really able to demonstrate his unique voice during those recording sessions. By the '50s, Armstrong was widely recognized, even traveling the globe for the US. Since his death, Armstrong's stature has only continued to grow. Given his popularity, his long career, and the extensive label-jumping he did in his later years, as well as the differing jazz and pop sides of his work, his recordings are extensive and diverse, with parts of his catalog owned by numerous companies. It started in New Orleans and over the years, stretched out throughout the whole United States. St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker tracks down a flyball during fielding practice at the Cardinals spring training complex in Jupiter, Fla. on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. 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). It's also worth noting that even though he brought it into popularity, Armstrong in no way invented the technique, which dates back to at least 1906. By the mid-'40s, the Swing Era was winding down and the era of big bands was almost over. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. Louis Armstrong was an outstanding jazz musician during the Harlem Renaissance Era. Although the ballad topped the 1968 charts in Great Britain, American sales were abysmal. Related. There are two kinds of music, the good and the bad. While growing up, Armstrong did assorted jobs for the Karnofskys, a family of Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants. He was born into poverty on August 4, 1901 in the streets of Back o Town (Meckna). The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. Armstrong accepted, and he was soon taking Chicago by storm with both his remarkably fiery playing and the dazzling two-cornet breaks that he shared with Oliver. 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. After they married in 1924, Hardin made it clear that she felt Oliver was holding Armstrong back. When Wilson tired of living out of a suitcase during endless strings of one-nighters, she convinced Armstrong to purchase a house at 34-56 107th Street in Corona, Queens, New York. He was arrested for firing a pistol in The Hot Five and Hot Seven were strictly recording groups; Armstrong performed nightly during this period with Erskine Tate's orchestra at the Vendome Theater, often playing music for silent movies. Armstrong was one of the first very popular, Being raised in a part of New Orleans known as "The Battlefield" because of its faulty economic situation is not ideal. Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Love, baby - love. Louis Armstrong was important in the 1920's because he put a whole new meaning to jazz. The records by Louis Armstrong and His Fiveand later, Hot Sevenare the most influential in jazz. He spread jazz throughout the world. Jelly Roll, Doctor Jazz, Original Jelly Roll Blues, and many other famous pieces. 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. Armstrong moved to Chicago to join Oliver's band in August 1922 and made his first recordings as a member of the group in the spring of 1923. There was a cheerful impatience in his playing, an optimistic confidence that led him to risk going over the top (Shipton 157). His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of A local Jewish family, the Karnofskys, gave young Armstrong a job collecting junk and delivering coal. 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. WebLouis Armstrong remains an icon of American history and 20 th century popular culture. Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus sent in the National Guard to prevent the Little Rock Nine nine African American students from entering the public school. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. 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. One of the first many New Orleans style jazz artists is Jelly Roll Morton. He is remembered as the most influential artist in the early development of jazz. Previously, Armstrong had performed throughout Europe, Asia, and Africathough he famously canceled a planned 1957 Soviet Union tour, citing the recent Little Rock crisis. 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. He made his film debut in Ex-Flame, released at the end of 1931. Louis Armstrong, also known as Ambassador Satch, was unofficially adopted by a family of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania who had a junk hauling business in Louisiana. Study now. Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. After being released at age fourteen, he worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart. However, a heart attack two days after the Waldorf gig sidelined him for two months. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. Throughout the years, jazz musicians have created many new styles, new arrangements, and put this genre of music on the map., He affected the heading of jazz music and spontaneous creation. Though Armstrong was content to remain in New Orleans, in the summer of 1922, he received a call from Oliver to come to Chicago and join his Creole Jazz Band on second cornet. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day. 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. I play the good kind (Armstrong). He fused the jazz style of the place where he grew up with well known jazz of Broadway to coordinate a better than ever kind of jazz. See answer (1) Best Answer. He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. One of the most important figures in 20th century music, Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist are widely recognized today, and will continue to be for decades to come. 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. In April, he reached the charts with his first vocal recording, "Big Butter and Egg Man," a duet with May Alix. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. During this period, he switched from cornet to trumpet. The musician didn't let the incident stop him, however, and after taking a few weeks off to recover, he was back on the road, performing 300 nights a year into the 1960s. The tune did, however, become a No. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. Armstrong had gained sufficient individual notice to make his recording debut as a leader on November 12, 1925. Armstrong's new manager, Joe Glaser, organized a big band for him that had its premiere in Indianapolis on July 1, 1935; for the next several years, he toured regularly. His influence, both as an artist and cultural icon, is universal and is still relevant today. Being in many bands before he was not new to this. The Armstrongs moved into the home, where they would live for the rest of their lives, in 1943. He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. WebThrough the internet and books we find out why Louis Armstrong is such a great person to learn about. Armstrong was featured nightly on Ain't Misbehavin', breaking up the crowds of (mostly white) theatergoers nightly. Midway through the recording session, he accidentally dropped them and scatted to fill the ensuing silence. In 1938, Armstrong finally divorced Lil Hardin and married Alpha Smith, whom he had been dating for more than a decade. During his time there, he learned how to play the bugle cornet, an instrument that is similar to the trumpet. The civil rights movement was growing stronger with each passing year, with more protests, marches and speeches from African Americans wanting equal rights. He began following him and eventually Oliver became Armstrongs mentor. Sources: Louis Armstrong was the first black man in the U.S. to host a radio show. Louis was arrested by Police When he was eleven. Armstrong's charismatic stage presence impressed not only the jazz world but all of popular music. Armstrong continued recording for Decca in the late 1940s and early '50s, creating a string of popular hits, including "Blueberry Hill," "That Lucky Old Sun," "La Vie En Rose," "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "I Get Ideas. "Hotter Than That" was in the Top Ten in May 1928, followed in September by "West End Blues," which later became one of the first recordings named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. 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. Seeing "the writing on the wall," Armstrong scaled down to a smaller six-piece combo, the All Stars; personnel would frequently change, but this would be the group Armstrong would perform live with until the end of his career. If the gun was not so easily accessible, his firing it and being arrested could have been prevented. Instead of doing strictly jazz numbers, OKeh began allowing Armstrong to record popular songs of the day, including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Star Dust" and "Body and Soul.". 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. He was soon able to stop working manual labor jobs and began concentrating full-time on his cornet, playing parties, dances, funeral marches and at local "honky-tonks"a name for small bars that typically host musical acts. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Armstrong joined Henderson in the fall of 1924 and immediately made his presence felt with a series of solos that introduced the concept of swing music to the band. Armstrong returned to New York with his band for an engagement at Connie's Inn in Harlem in May 1929. Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. Their marriage was not a happy one, however, and they divorced in 1942. 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. 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.. Mentored by the citys top cornetist, Joe King Oliver, Armstrong soon became one of the most in-demand cornetists in town, eventually working steadily on Mississippi riverboats. 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. WebA 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. His music had had a major effect on "swing" and the big band sound. He played dramatic works of simple structure in Orleans jazz style and with the accompaniment of Dick jazz music. Without the jazz musicians, jazz music would not have been possible. But many of his recorded performances are masterpieces, and none are less than entertaining. Louis Armstrongs significance and most famous songs In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography. 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. By 1968, Armstrong's grueling lifestyle had finally caught up with him. WebLouis Armstrong is arguably the most important musician that the United States has ever produced (Shipton 160). Changing jazz into what was once known as a ensemble music to soloist art. In fact, before marrying his fourth wife, he made sure that she could cook a satisfactory plateful. There, under the tutelage of Peter Davis, he learned how to properly play the cornet, eventually becoming the leader of the Waifs Home Brass Band. The pistol should have been stored in a locked, Armstrong did not define himself by his background and could have grown up to be just another poor child from a broken home. In fifth grade, while being taken care of by his maternal grandmother most of the time, he left school to work. He also began singing on these recordings, popularizing wordless "scat singing" with his hugely popular vocal on 1926's "Heebie Jeebies.".

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