Louis Armstong

Armstrong, Louis (1901-1971), American jazz cornet and trumpet player, singer, bandleader, and popular entertainer. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Armstrong overcame poverty, a lack of formal education, and racism to become one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the 20th century, and one of the most beloved entertainers in the world.

As a youth, Armstrong learned to play the cornet, and in about 1917 he began an apprenticeship with cornetist King Oliver, who played New Orleans-style jazz. After stints with several jazz bands in New Orleans and Chicago, Armstrong moved to New York City in 1924, where he joined the band of American pianist Fletcher Henderson.

After 1925 Armstrong began leading his own band and also recorded with some of the most renowned blues singers of the time, including American singer Bessie Smith. From 1925 to 1928 he led a recording group called the Hot Fives (later known as the Hot Sevens). In these recordings, Armstrong abandoned New Orleans-style jazz and almost single-handedly transformed the music from a group art into an art form for the individual soloist. He switched from the cornet to the trumpet during this period, and set new standards for trumpeters, extending the trumpet's playable range with impressive high notes.

In the 1930s and 1940s Armstrong led a big band, toured Europe, and increasingly pursued a career as a popular entertainer in motion pictures. In 1947, Armstrong formed a septet called the All Stars, which he led until 1968.

Armstrong was one of the first artists to record scat singing (the singing of improvised wordless sounds rather than formal lyrics), in the song "Heebie Jeebies" (1926), and eventually his voice became one of the most recognizable of the 20th century. In 1964 Armstrong won a Grammy Award for his number-one song, "Hello Dolly." Armstrong accumulated affectionate nicknames over the course of his career, such as Ambassador Satchmo, Satch, and Pops. He became an unofficial musical ambassador for the United States, performing all over the world. Posthumously, he was selected for a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1972) and two Hall of Fame Grammy Awards (1974 and 1993).