Louis Armstrong

When most of us here the word leader we think of a superior being. A person that is totally unlike any other. There have been many leaders in the past centuries. One that I found most significant was Louis Armstrong. He was a great musician in so many ways. He patented his own style of music that became known and loved all over the world.

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4th 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Mayanne and William Armstrong. Louis had many great accomplishments throughout his life. While doing what he loved he became a leader everyone loved and recognized. Louis had a hard and painful childhood. His father abandoned the family when Louis was just a little baby. Over the next five years Louis lived with his grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. At just the age of six Louis and three other boys form a vocal quartet and they would perform on the street corners for tips.

In 1922 at the age of 21 Louis moves to Chicago to play second cornet in the band of Joe Oliver. As Louis performs he is slowly being recognized for his music. Finally on April 5 1923 he recorded his first song at the Gennett Studios in Richmond, Indiana as a member of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. In February of 1924 he marries Lil Hardin. She played the piano for the King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. In September 1924 he leaves King Oliver and moves to New York City to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. He records a few songs with them.

Finally on November 12th 1925 Louis makes his first recordings as a leader with his own group named the Hot Five. It is here were he created his own style of music called the Satchmo way. This musical style became very popular among the world’s population. On June 28 1928 he records one of the most famous jazz songs ever recorded called “West End Blue”.

In 1947 he performs in Carnegie Hall with a small group and his big band. In 1948 he appears in the first International jazz festival. In 1954 he publishes his second auto biography called the Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans. In this biography he covers his life until 1922. One of his songs called “Hello Dolly” becomes number one hit. On July 6 1971 Louis passes away in his sleep at his home in Corona.