Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. Unhappy, Armstrong left Henderson in 1925 to return to Chicago, where he began playing with his wife's band at the Dreamland Caf. 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. Coupled with his astonishing performing skills and charismatic stage presence, Armstrong took the world by storm and popularized jazz as we know it today. With her encouragement, he left Oliver and joined Fletcher Henderson's band in New York, staying for a year and then going back to Chicago in November 1925 to join the Dreamland Syncopators, his wife's group. 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. 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. Louis Armstrong - Biography, Jazz Musician, Trumpeter, In a 1951 interview with Esquire, Armstrong claimed to have come prepared with printed lyrics that day. He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. In addition Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes., On the 26th day of December in 1788 there was a very great success. What a Wonderful World struck a chord with moviegoers and was re-released that year, becoming an oft-requested radio hit. West End Blues by Louis Armstrong is one of the most important songs in jazz. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He was also a talented singer, and his recordings of songs like What a For live dates, he appeared with the orchestras led by Erskine Tate and Carroll Dickerson. Beginning in 1919, Armstrong spent his summers playing on riverboats with a band led by Fate Marable. WebHe overcame poverty to become one of the most important people in the history of music. Armstrong had a difficult childhood: His father was a factory worker and abandoned the family soon after Louis's birth. Louis Armstrong is one of the most important jazz figures. Read Full Biography. With his daring rhythmic choice, swinging vocabulary, and incredibly high notes; changing jazz history once again. Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. Armstrong used to say that hed been born on July 4, 1900. 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.". He was known for both his joyous ways with the trumpet and his peculiarly touching and funny vocal style. Like almost all early Jazz musicians, Louis was from New Orleans. He faced tremendous adversity, ignorance and hatred in his life, and fought back without sinking to the level of those who opposed him. (Cayton, 462) Armstrong was the king of jazz trumpet players. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. At the school he learned to play cornet. He attended Colored Waifs Home in 1913 for eighteen months. 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. "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. The song for which Pops is most widely remembered, What a Wonderful World, was almost never his song at all. In 16967, Armstrong recorded his most renowned tune, What a Wonderful Word that surprisingly featured no trumpet. This is where Armstrong first fell in love with music; he would listen to people playing any chance that he would get(Tirro). After his time in Colored Waifs Home, he wanted to become a musician. Armstrong was featured nightly on Ain't Misbehavin', breaking up the crowds of (mostly white) theatergoers nightly. He was arrested for firing a pistol in Between the two, Armstrong has been the more unsullied figure in historical treatments and biographies. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. 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. He was an extraordinary musician and he impacted jazz music immensely. The new style that he created gave a voice-like quality to his horn. Louis Armstrong: The First Great Jazz Soloist 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. Louis Armstrong was the first black man in the U.S. to host a radio show. He was a master of the trumpet and cornet, and his style of playing was unique and instantly recognizable. The most important and influential musician in jazz history, and one of the leading singers and entertainers from the 1920s through the '50s. 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. Importance of Louis Armstrong Their marriage was not a happy one, however, and they divorced in 1942. A young pianist from Pittsburgh, Earl Hines, assimilated Armstrong's ideas into his piano playing. He was especially known for his spectacular trumpet playing, unmistakable voice, and exceptionally recognizable, broad smile., In three years they recorded over 60 records, which now are considered the most influential recordings in jazz history. Show More. It is said that during a session, Armstrong dropped his sheet music and started mimicking the sounds of the horn with his voice. It won him a Grammy for best vocal performance. Jazz is a genre of music that brought a whole community of people together. Eventually tour ended and Louis went back home to continue his. Armstrong was the primary ever "Genius" of jazz music. Louis Armstrong 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. Though his popularity was hitting new highs in the 1950s, and despite breaking down so many barriers for his race and being a hero to the African American community for so many years, Armstrong began losing his standing with two segments of his audience: Modern jazz fans and young African Americans. He sang much as he played, but with a playfulness and a rasp, that would forever be part of American culture (Winfield 167). In 1993, it gained renewed popularity when it was used in the film Sleepless in Seattle. WebThrough the internet and books we find out why Louis Armstrong is such a great person to learn about. 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. Louis did his first performance on stage in 1930 to spread his Jazz style. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. There are two kinds of music, the good and the bad. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. Within a span of three years, Armstrong recorded over sixty records. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. 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.. Louis Armstrong was the greatest of all Jazz musicians. During this time, Armstrong taught the band how to swing. Related. 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. In 1947, the waning popularity of the big bands forced Armstrong to begin fronting a small group, Louis Armstrong and His All Stars. WebWhy Is Louis Armstrong Important. Why Louis Armstrong was important? Pillars of Life 3 y Related Why was jazz so important? To grasp how much the man adored this entre, consider that he often signed his personal letters with Red Beans and Ricely Yours.. He was taken under the wing of cornetist Joe "King" Oliver, and when Oliver moved to Chicago in June 1918, Armstrong replaced him in the Kid Ory Band. He performed all over the world in the 1950s and '60s, including throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. In 1937, Louis Armstrong became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show. Louis Armstrong was the first black man in the U.S. to host a radio show. He interprets and contributes to the genre of jazz, creates great form through his performance in the Hot Chocolates, and his work represents a whole for equality and the civil rights movement. This gift, coupled with Louis Armstrongs already present affinity for the musical sounds of the local New Orleans street bands and brass players that lingered around, helped to brew the perfect storm that would create one of the most prolific players of the 20th century. Outraged, Armstrong refused to stage another concert within the state's borders. "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. These views changed in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis on television. His fame rose when he composed several masterworks in the 1940s. He studied music there and played cornet and bugle in the school band, eventually becoming its leader. This was the first time anyone had ever recorded this technique known as scat singing. Only Charlie Parker comes close to having as much influence on the history of Jazz as Louis Armstrong did. He influenced other jazz musicians by his fearless trumpet styles and distinctive vocals. Why is Louis Armstrong important in the 20's? The man was Louis Armstrong. Why Is Charlie Parker Important 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. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. However, controversy regarding Armstrong's fatherhood struck in 1954, when a girlfriend that the musician had dated on the side, Lucille "Sweets" Preston, claimed she was pregnant with his child. An early job working for the Jewish Karnofsky family allowed Armstrong to make enough money to purchase his first cornet. Louis Armstrong - Black History Month - LibGuides at Armstrong could make an audience cheer, but Roy Eldridge, made those top and bottom notes feel like a natural part of what the horn should do (Friedwald 21). With the assistance of the jazz musicians, the music industry, Making his voice sound like a musical instrument and singing nonsense syllables with no words created Scat singing. He returned to Chicago in the spring of 1932 to front a band led by Zilner Randolph; the group toured around the country. He started as a soloist for Henderson after marrying Lil Hardin. Released from the Waifs Home in 1914, Armstrong set his sights on becoming a professional musician. He is remembered as the most influential artist in the early development of jazz. During his time there, he learned how to play the bugle cornet, an instrument that is similar to the trumpet. Biography - Louis Armstrong Home Museum 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. A year later, he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Meanwhile, Armstrong's reputation as a musician continued to grow: In 1918, he replaced Oliver in Kid Ory's band, then the most popular band in New Orleans. The way they are treating my people in the South, declared Armstrong, the government can go to hell.. Armstrong sang his heart out on the number, thinking of his home in Queens as he did so, but "What a Wonderful World" received little promotion in the United States. Louis Armstrong is famous for his stunning jazz performance, unique vocals, and amazing styles with the trumpet/cornet. Despite failing to make a new record for two years, Armstrong remained a fan favorite. Hes a professional jazz performer who played with Oliver and Henderson. The tune did, however, become a No. 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. He began touring the country in the 1940s. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. Louis Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo," "Pops" and, later, "Ambassador Satch," was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. 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. Armstrong spent the last decade of his life similarly that he had spent the four past enthralling groups of onlookers all through the world., Louis Blues, Overall Armstrong wrote and performed some of the most popular and well known jazz songs of all time. Related. 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. 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.