Louis Armstrong lived the American dream. Born the grandson of slaves he hauled coal by day and played cornet at night in New Orleans dance halls. Jazz, the American musical expression, was his avenue out of poverty. One day, one hundred years later, an airport would be named after him and his recordings with "Hot Five" and "Hot Seven" would be preserved in the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress. His achievements came through hard work and many hours of practice. Armstrong said at the end of his life " I think I had a beautiful life. I didn't wish for anything that I couldn't get and I got pretty near everything I wanted because I worked for it."
This colorful man brought innovative and bold new sounds to jazz. He was one of the first to record scat singing (improvising vocals using sounds not words) and "Lazy River" is a great example of his scat singing. His unique gravelly voice and exceptional trumpet skills put him in a class with other solo artist. His ability to be able to remake a song was remarkable and "Hello Dolly" is one of these greats. It became #1 in the pop charts in 1964 pushing the Beatles out of the #1 spot. At age 63 he was the oldest person to accomplish this.
This generous man was loved around the world. He toured Africa, Europe, and Asia they nicknamed him "Ambassador Satch," Satch or Satchmo was short for Satchelmouth. After a magazine editor greeted Armstrong in London "Hello Satchmo!" the name stuck. Armstrong supported the civil rights cause at home by giving abundantly to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the conflict over desegregation in Little Rock, Armstrong called President Eisenhower "two faced and gutless", he then cancelled his state department sponsored tour of the Soviet Union remarking, "the way they're treating my people in the south. The government can go the hell."
Jazz would be incomplete without Armstrong's great influence. Bing Crosby was only one performer who took much from their close working relationship. They worked together on projects including the film "Pennies from Heaven." Frank Sinatra and Billy Holiday also reflected on his influence. Holiday said, " she wanted Armstrong's feeling in her singing." Few if any performed with more emotion or heart. Listening to Louie Armstrong is a spirit lifting and happy experience.
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