The musician didn't let the incident stop him, however, and after taking a few weeks off to recover, he was back on the road, performing 300 nights a year into the 1960s. His distinctive sound and style have had a lasting impact on the genre, and he was a major influence on subsequent generations of jazz musicians. The pistol should have been stored in a locked, Armstrong did not define himself by his background and could have grown up to be just another poor child from a broken home. Their marriage was not a happy one, however, and they divorced in 1942. Fletcher Henderson also influenced jazz music. In 1967, Armstrong recorded a new ballad, "What a Wonderful World." WebLouis Armstrongs ability to use his career to change the music and jazz industry forever is another great example of why Louis Armstrong exhibits the right. Armstrong continued recording for Decca in the late 1940s and early '50s, creating a string of popular hits, including "Blueberry Hill," "That Lucky Old Sun," "La Vie En Rose," "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "I Get Ideas. William Armstrong, his father, was a factory worker who abandoned the family soon after the boy's birth. Though he had finally spoken out after years of remaining publicly silent, he received criticism at the time from both Black and white public figures. We all do 'do re mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself. In the summer of 1929, Armstrong headed to New York, where he had a role in a Broadway production of Connie's Hot Chocolates, featuring the music of Fats Waller and Andy Razaf. Armstrong spent his youth singing on the street for spare change, but he didnt receive any formal musical training until age 11. A series of new biographies on Armstrong made his role as a civil rights pioneer abundantly clear and, subsequently, argued for an embrace of his entire career's output, not just the revolutionary recordings from the 1920s. When Louis Armstrong was placed in a boys home as a young boy, he was presented with the opportunity to play the cornet. There, he received musical instruction on the cornet and fell in love with music. Handy and Satch Plays Fats. He was a master of the trumpet and a pioneer of jazz. Why The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic, American actress, singer, director, producer. He was often left with his grandmother, and left school in fifth grade to start working. Sure enough, he explained, they [published] Heebie Jeebies the same way it was mistakenly recorded. However, most biographers believe that Armstrong made up this anecdote and had planned on scatting all along. There are two kinds of music, the good and the bad. His rise to the top, though not overnight, occurred quickly, he played with mostly all the major bands in New Orleans over the next few years (Friedwald 350). He was one of the most influential figures in jazz music. Famous for his innovative methods of playing the trumpet and cornet, he was also a highly talented singer, blessed with a powerful gravelly voice. Known for his improvisation, Armstrong could induce dramatic effects with his music. This gift, coupled with Louis Armstrongs already present affinity for the musical sounds of the local New Orleans street bands and brass players that lingered around, helped to brew the perfect storm that would create one of the most prolific players of the 20th century. Seeing "the writing on the wall," Armstrong scaled down to a smaller six-piece combo, the All Stars; personnel would frequently change, but this would be the group Armstrong would perform live with until the end of his career. The jazz magazine Down Beat agreed. WebImportance of Louis Armstrong. During this time, Armstrong taught the band how to swing. In April, he reached the charts with his first vocal recording, "Big Butter and Egg Man," a duet with May Alix. That same year, he became the first African American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie with his turn in Pennies from Heaven, starring Bing Crosby. Why Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" is Important ", During the mid-'50s, Armstrong's popularity overseas skyrocketed. Louis Armstrong - Black History Month - LibGuides at Born, August 4, 1901 he started off in a harder life than most people usually do. Armstrong joined Henderson in the fall of 1924 and immediately made his presence felt with a series of solos that introduced the concept of swing music to the band. Aristotle did not consider children as morally responsible as adults because they have not had sufficient time to move beyond their backgrounds and upbringing. (Jazz From New Orleans, Jazz music was one of the most popular music genres in the 1920s and 1930s. A few weeks later after his birth his father leaves his mother alone with a family. He is also the first African American celebrity to appear in a major Hollywood movie. His style was unique and his talent was undeniable. That same year, his longtime manager, Joe Glaser, passed away. In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography: Swing That Music. He was born into poverty on August 4, 1901 in the streets of Back o Town (Meckna). Today, these are generally regarded as the most important and influential recordings in jazz history; on these records, Armstrong's virtuoso brilliance helped transform jazz from an ensemble music to a soloist's art. He was raised by his mother Mayann in a neighborhood so dangerous it was called The Battlefield. He only had a fifth-grade education, dropping out of school early to go to work. Pops had a special place in his heart for both Chinese and Italian food. Thereafter until his death in 1971, however, Armstrong never publicly addressed whether he was in fact Sharon's father. By the summer of 1970, Armstrong was allowed to perform publicly again and play the trumpet. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of He attended school until he was in the 5th grade, he stopped going to help support his family. Previously, Armstrong had performed throughout Europe, Asia, and Africathough he famously canceled a planned 1957 Soviet Union tour, citing the recent Little Rock crisis. The book was titled Swing That Music. He was one of America's most significant artists by the late 1930s, and had created a sensation in Europe with live performances and records. Aint that stupid? Being in many bands before he was not new to this. You feel butterflies in your stomach as you take your seat. Mentored by the citys top cornetist, Joe King Oliver, Armstrong soon became one of the most in-demand cornetists in town, eventually working steadily on Mississippi riverboats. Louis Armstrong was called "the single most important figure in the history of jazz" by Billboard magazine, a publication that tracks the recording industry. The 1930s also found Armstrong achieving great popularity on radio, in films, and with his recordings. ", Armstrong signed with Columbia Records in the mid-'50s, and soon cut some of the finest albums of his career for producer George Avakian, including Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Jazz Giant Louis Armstrong Was Born - America's Library This was the first time anyone had ever recorded this technique known as scat singing. That same year, Armstrong married for the fourth and final time; he wed Lucille Wilson, a Cotton Club dancer. He was also a talented singer, and his recordings of songs like What a Reel 163 Louis Armstrong, n.d. .State Department and earning the nickname "Ambassador Satch." he put his soul and dedicated his life to his music. He was employed by a Jewish family who encouraged him to sing. Millions of people, starting in the 1930s until today, have agreed with Louis Armstrongs famous words and have been huge fans of the famous musician. If Armstrong never bought the cornet he would have never become famous. By 1932, Armstrong, who was now known as Satchmo, had begun appearing in movies and made his first tour of England. As an artist, Armstrong was embraced by two distinctly different audiences: jazz fans who revered him for his early innovations as an instrumentalist but were occasionally embarrassed by his lack of interest in later developments in jazz, especially his willingness to serve as a light entertainer; and pop fans, who delighted in his joyous performances, particularly as a vocalist, but were largely unaware of his significance as a jazz musician. Armstrong soon began dating the female pianist in the band, Lillian Hardin. By 1968, Armstrong's grueling lifestyle had finally caught up with him. To grasp how much the man adored this entre, consider that he often signed his personal letters with Red Beans and Ricely Yours.. He was by far the most enduringly popular man of all the classical composers, and his influence on following Western art music was very good and intense., Intro Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy The latter performance is one of Armstrong's best known works, opening with a stunning cadenza that features equal helpings of opera and the blues; with its release, "West End Blues" proved to the world that the genre of fun, danceable jazz music was also capable of producing high art. Armstrong sang his heart out on the number, thinking of his home in Queens as he did so, but "What a Wonderful World" received little promotion in the United States. Armstrong and Oliver became the talk of the town with their intricate two-cornet breaks and started making records together in 1923. He fused the jazz style of the place where he grew up with well known jazz of Broadway to coordinate a better than ever kind of jazz. When Pops (who adored Thiele and Weiss masterwork) passed away on July 6, 1971, What a Wonderful World seemed destined for stateside obscurity. Contracted to OKeh Records, he began to make a series of recordings with studio-only groups called the Hot Fives or the Hot Sevens. Louis Armstrong was to jazz music what Bach is to classical music, Presley is to rock music (Berrett 230). Louis was the illegitimate son of William Armstrong and Mary Est Mayann Albert. He interprets and contributes to the genre of jazz, creates great form through his performance in the Hot Chocolates, and his work represents a whole for equality and the civil rights movement. See answer (1) Best Answer. Armstrong accepted, and he was soon taking Chicago by storm with both his remarkably fiery playing and the dazzling two-cornet breaks that he shared with Oliver. By the end of the decade, the popularity of the Hot Fives and Sevens was enough to send Armstrong back to New York, where he appeared in the popular Broadway revue, Hot Chocolates. He soon began touring and never really stopped until his death in 1971. His resurgence in the '60s with hit recordings like 1965's Grammy-winning "Hello Dolly" and 1968's classic "What a Wonderful World" solidified his legacy as a musical and cultural icon. 232) Armstrong unlike other black jazz men and women, was one of the first to be welcomed in the upper echelons of white society. Together with his mom, they moved to a better area of New Orleans. There was a cheerful impatience in his playing, an optimistic confidence that led him to risk going over the top (Shipton 157). WebDid You Know? The single's B-side, and also a chart entry, was "A Kiss to Build a Dream On," sung by Armstrong in the film The Strip. A local Jewish family, the Karnofskys, gave young Armstrong a job collecting junk and delivering coal. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. Eventually tour ended and Louis went back home to continue his. Louis Armstrong used to give away laxatives as gifts. Larkin states, "It is impossible to overstate Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong's importance in jazz." Louis Daniel (Louie) Armstrong is perhaps the most important and influential person in the history of jazz music, swing music, and jazz vocal styling. While performing with Tate in 1926, Armstrong finally switched from the cornet to the trumpet. How did Louis Armstrong influence others? These views changed in 1957, when Armstrong saw the Little Rock Central High School integration crisis on television. he is important because he was the first black singer. Instead he used his talent as a ticket to improve his lot and create a meaningful life. Armstrongs mentor, King Oliver, had Armstrong move to Chicago to be in his band; in Olivers, Aside from the typical cultural, social, and political factors influencing any musicians style, an early life filled with poverty and hardship also shaped Louis Armstrongs musical development. He embarked on his first European tour since 1935 in February 1948, and thereafter toured regularly around the world. According to this document, the performers actual birth date was August 4, 1901. In 1924, Armstrong married Hardin, who urged Armstrong to leave Oliver and try to make it on his own. Eldridge is the obvious link between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. At the mention jazz music, that person will first think of is likely to be a great figure with a clown image, nicknamed Satchmo. However, conditions changed when he was requested to record the title number of a broadway show that went on to become a hit. She pushed her husband to cut ties with his mentor and join Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, the top African American dance band in New York City at the time. Why is Louis Armstrong important? - Answers He spread jazz throughout the world. Instead of doing strictly jazz numbers, OKeh began allowing Armstrong to record popular songs of the day, including "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," "Star Dust" and "Body and Soul.". What made jazz continuously popular was the way it progressed. Louis Armstrongs significance and most famous songs In 1936, he became the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography. Louis Armstrong was the most important and influential musician in jazz history. One of the first soloists on record, Louis was at the forefront of changing jazz from ensemble-oriented folk music into an art form that emphasized inventive solo improvisations. Throughout the years, jazz musicians have created many new styles, new arrangements, and put this genre of music on the map., He affected the heading of jazz music and spontaneous creation. Featuring young geniuses such as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, the younger generation of musicians saw themselves as artists, not as entertainers. Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. Why Louis Armstrong was important? In 1937, Louis Armstrong became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show. Armstrong practiced his instrument and eventually he became the jazz great everyone knows today. Louis Armstrong: The First Great Jazz Soloist Louis Armstrong in The Civil Rights Movement I think to myself, what a wonderful world. The material may show why Armstrong was not just a giant of jazz music, but a civil rights leader as well. He was a groundbreaking musician and a pioneer in the development of jazz music. See answer (1) Best Answer. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. Louis Armstrong is considered a hero for many reasons. That's the secret. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He adds, "He was also more than a jazz musician he was an enormously popular entertainer"(pp. They also encouraged him to sing and often invited him into their home for meals. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! WebCourtesy of the Louis Armstrong Archive Queens College, CUNY. (Armstrong did not function as a bandleader in the usual sense, but instead typically lent his name to established groups.) Between 1952 and 1955, Armstrong shed 100 pounds. The movie he appeared in was Pennies from Heaven (1936). However, Armstrong's southern background didn't mesh well with the more urban, Northern mentality of Henderson's other musicians, who sometimes gave Armstrong a hard time over his wardrobe and the way he talked. Additionally, he became the first African American entertainer to host a nationally sponsored radio show in 1937, when he took over Rudy Vallee's Fleischmann's Yeast Show for 12 weeks. He performed all over the world in the 1950s and '60s, including throughout Europe, Africa and Asia. He found that the only way to reap the benefits of success and be protected was if there was a white captain to back you in the old days (Armstrong). Turns out, he was 13 months off. They treat me better all over the world than they do in my hometown, he said. These records later went on to become the most influential in jazz history, as it was the first time Armstrong facilitated the evolution of jazz as a ensemble to a soloist art. The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky are also on the faces of people going by. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Bebop, a new form of jazz, had blossomed in the 1940s. If the gun was not so easily accessible, his firing it and being arrested could have been prevented. He was soon able to stop working manual labor jobs and began concentrating full-time on his cornet, playing parties, dances, funeral marches and at local "honky-tonks"a name for small bars that typically host musical acts. In fifth grade, while being taken care of by his maternal grandmother most of the time, he left school to work. No ones quite sure why Armstrong lied about his age, but the most popular theories maintain he wanted to join a military band or that he figured he'd have a better shot at landing gigs if he was over 18 years old. Meanwhile, Armstrong's reputation as a musician continued to grow: In 1918, he replaced Oliver in Kid Ory's band, then the most popular band in New Orleans. His influence, both as an artist and cultural icon, is universal and is still relevant today. According to Armstrong, that nights biggest laugh came right before his group started playing You Rascal, You. Without warning, he looked straight up at the monarch and hollered, This ones for you, Rex!, Fresh off the wild success of his Hello, Dolly! cover, Armstrong made a trip to communist East Berlin in 1965, where he gave a two-hour concert that earned a standing ovation. He spent the next several years in Europe, his American career maintained by a series of archival recordings, including the Top Ten hits "Sweethearts on Parade" (August 1932; recorded December 1930) and "Body and Soul" (October 1932; recorded October 1930). A year later, he was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Study now. He was an all-star virtuoso, and came to prominence in the 1920s playing cornet and trumpet with an excitingly new and improvisational style. This newfound popularity introduced Armstrong to a new, younger audience, and he continued making both successful records and concert appearances for the rest of the decade, even cracking the "Iron Curtain" with a tour of Communist countries such as East Berlin and Czechoslovakia in 1965. There were many jazz musicians. Though he was the product's biggest cheerleader, Armstrong neither requested nor received any payment from its manufacturers.