Armstrong was born August 4th 1901 in New Orleans. At a young age he was left by his father and left in the care of his grandmother, a former slave. by the age of 11 he had dropped out of school and joined a boys quartet that sang on the street for money. He was exposed to music at an early age, but experienced some rough times as well. He had several jobs from a young age, grew up poor, and struggled to make money to keep his mother out of prostitution. He never regretted the bad times of his childhood, but instead drew inspiration from them. He once said...
"Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine- I look right in the heart of good old New Orleans... It has given me something to live for."
As he grew older his legend as a trumpeter grew. Later in his carreer, however he gained popularity for his distinctive singing voice. No one who heard his voice was likely to forget it soon. Louis Armstrong enforced and enhanced the idea that music and singing has no bounds. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," or ears as the case may be. He pushed the bounds of what was considered great and created something new and exciting that revolutionized jazz. He helped to shift the focus from ragtime to jazz style music. Armstrong changed Jazz and influenced music to come for decades.
“Louis Armstrong is jazz. He represents what the music is all about.” — Wynton Marsalis
Not only was he known for his musical talent, but for his charisma and endearing demeanor. He was a spectacular entertainer and even made appearances in some movies. Armstrong brought music and entertainment together in a way that people had never seen, making him a star. However, with his fame also came criticism from the black community; some felt betrayed that he played for mostly white audiences. Despite this, Armstrong was one of the first artists of his time to be known primarily because of his musical talent, his race defining him at a far second.
“A note’s a note in any language"
"Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine- I look right in the heart of good old New Orleans... It has given me something to live for."
As he grew older his legend as a trumpeter grew. Later in his carreer, however he gained popularity for his distinctive singing voice. No one who heard his voice was likely to forget it soon. Louis Armstrong enforced and enhanced the idea that music and singing has no bounds. "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," or ears as the case may be. He pushed the bounds of what was considered great and created something new and exciting that revolutionized jazz. He helped to shift the focus from ragtime to jazz style music. Armstrong changed Jazz and influenced music to come for decades.
“Louis Armstrong is jazz. He represents what the music is all about.” — Wynton Marsalis
Not only was he known for his musical talent, but for his charisma and endearing demeanor. He was a spectacular entertainer and even made appearances in some movies. Armstrong brought music and entertainment together in a way that people had never seen, making him a star. However, with his fame also came criticism from the black community; some felt betrayed that he played for mostly white audiences. Despite this, Armstrong was one of the first artists of his time to be known primarily because of his musical talent, his race defining him at a far second.
“A note’s a note in any language"