Louis Armstrong

For most of his life, Louis Armstrong always gave July 4, 1900, as his birthdate, possibly because it was easy to remember. In all likelihood, he probably believed it himself. It wasn't until many years after his death that a birth record was found confirming the correct date as August 4, 1901.

Although his career as a recording artist dates back to the 1920s, when he made now-classic recordings with Joe 'King' Oliver, Bessie Smith and the legendary Jimmie Rodgers, as well as his own Hot Five and Hot Seven groups, his biggest hits as a recording artist came comparatively late in his life: "Mack the Knife" (1956), "Hello, Dolly!" (a #1 hit in 1964), "What a Wonderful World" (1968) and "We Have All the Time in the World" (over 20 years after his death).

Louis Armstrong grew up poor in a single-parent household. He was 13 when he celebrated the New Year by running out on the street and firing a pistol that belonged to the current man in his mother's life. At the Colored Waifs Home for Boys, he learned to play the bugle and the clarinet and joined the home's brass band. They played at socials, picnics and funerals for a small fee. At 18 he got a job in the Kid Ory Band in New Orleans. Four years later, in 1922, he went to Chicago, where he played second coronet in the Creole Jazz Band.

He made his first recordings with that band in 1923.

In 1929 Armstrong appeared on Broadway in "Hot Chocolates", in which he introduced Fats Waller's "Ain't Misbehavin', his first popular song hit.

Satchmo became Armstrong's nickname after his 1932 Grand Tour of Europe. A London music magazine editor wrote "Satchmo" in an article -- probably because he could not read his garbled notes. Up until that time, Armstrong's nickname was Satchelmouth.

On June 26, 1950, he recorded the American version of the French songs "La Vie en Rose" and "C'est si Bon". "La Vie en Rose" was written by Louiguy (music) and Édith Piaf (lyrics) in 1946 and "C'est si Bon" was written by Henri Betti (music) and André Hornez (lyrics) in 1947. The English lyrics of "La Vie en Rose" were written by Mack David and the English lyrics of "C'est si Bon" were written by Jerry Seelen. The recording took place in New York with Sy Oliver and his Orchestra.

Refused to go a State Department-sponsored concert tour of the Soviet Union in 1959 because he felt the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower wasn't doing enough to promote civil rights legislation.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7018 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Interestingly enough, Armstrong had never heard of either the song or show "Hello, Dolly!" when he recorded it. To him, it was just the lead song on an album of show tunes, and he was more surprised than anyone when both the single and the album (Kapp 1964) went to #1 on the Billboard charts. What makes this accomplishment all the more remarkable is that it happened at the height of the so-called "British Invasion", when The Beatles and other British rock groups seemed to be dominating every aspect of the pop music charts. Armstrong later repeated his hit in the show's film version (Hello, Dolly! (1969)), singing it to Barbra Streisand.

Louis Armstrong passed away on July 6, 1971, a month away from what would have been his 70th birthday on August 4.

Posthumously inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1978) (charter member).

He was laid to rest at the Flushing Cemetery, Section 9 in Flushing, Queens, New York City not too far from his home in Corona, Queens. His tombstone is a red granite, emblazoned simply "Satchmo" Louis Armstrong with a beautiful white trumpet figure laden on top. Buried with him is his last of four wives, Lucille Armstrong who died in 1983.

Doc Louis, the trainer character in the boxing video game Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (1987), is based on his likeness.

Posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1990) (under the category Early Influence).

Pictured on a 32¢ US commemorative postage stamp in the Legends of American Music series, issued 1 September 1995.

Posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (2007).

Posthumously inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame (2008).