Kerrigan 2 Louis Armstrong also known as Satchmo and or Pops was a great American Jazz artist who came from very humble beginnings to become one of the greatest music legends of all times. Known not only for his great talents on the trumpet but, for the cornet and his scat-style singing. A style of vocal jazz creativeness in which the vocalist alternates nonsense syllables for lyrics. Scat singing is often used to emulate the type of musical line that a jazz instrumentalist would play. Armstrong would go on to also write two autobiographies and star in more than 30 films. Born August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana to a teenage mother named Maryann Albert and a factory worker father whose name was Willie Armstrong, Louis was only just a baby of a few weeks when he was sent to live with his grandma Josephine Armstrong. His mother and father separated for a short time only to get back together long enough to create a sister for Louis named Beatrice who was born in 1903. After four years of living with his grandmother, Louis returned to live with his mother and sister Beatrice. They were living in an area called “the Battlefield” a part of Storyville’s legal prostitute area. This was not a great place to live but, a very rough and poor area to raise a family. Because of the fact that Louis father had left the family, this left Louis’s mother Maryann to work as a domestic and part time prostitute to bring in money to help feed her children. Kerrigan 3 When Louis was only seven years old he took to the streets to help raise money for the household.
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He sold newspapers and vegetables and sometimes sang with friends for money. [1] He also was in charge of looking after his little sister. In essence he was the man of the house. While Louis was singing on the streets he was the happiest and always had a happy grin. He had such a wide grin he was given the nickname “Satchelmouth” later shortened to “Satchmo” Eventually he had made enough extra money to buy himself a cornet, a brass instrument similar to a trumpet but, shorter and wider. He taught himself to play this instrument. At the young age of eleven he quit school so that he could go to work full time to help support his family. While playing music on the streets Louis became friends with a man named Bunk Johnson. Mr. Bunk taught Louis some new songs and methods and sometimes let Louis come into the bars to watch him and sometimes let him perform with him as well. On New Year’s Eve 1912 at the age of eleven Louis fired off a pistol into the air and was arrested for it and put into a detention home. A reformatory called “Colored Waif’s Home. He ended up spending a year and a half there. This detention home was run by a former soldier named Captain Jones who ran this home with discipline. There were also daily classes and regular meals. This was all beneficial for the young Louis. Most of all, there was a band and Louis wanted to be a part of it! Eventually Louis did become a part of it, first starting off with singing, then the cornet and eventually the leader of the band itself. Kerrigan 4 After his time ended at the detention home of Captain Jones in 1914, Louis went back home. He returned again to work, this time he worked delivering coal. It was during this time that Louis made friends with a man named Joe “King” Oliver who taught him even more cornet lessons. In 1917 when World War I came around, many men went to war but, Louis was too young. With the war many of the men who went were band players and Louis found himself in demand in New Orleans. While playing in New Orleans in 1918 he met his wife Daisy Parker. He also was offered a job on a riverboat that went up and down the Mississippi river. He did this for 3 years, this was great for his career because he learned to read music but, it was also bad for his marriage
He sold newspapers and vegetables and sometimes sang with friends for money. [1] He also was in charge of looking after his little sister. In essence he was the man of the house. While Louis was singing on the streets he was the happiest and always had a happy grin. He had such a wide grin he was given the nickname “Satchelmouth” later shortened to “Satchmo” Eventually he had made enough extra money to buy himself a cornet, a brass instrument similar to a trumpet but, shorter and wider. He taught himself to play this instrument. At the young age of eleven he quit school so that he could go to work full time to help support his family. While playing music on the streets Louis became friends with a man named Bunk Johnson. Mr. Bunk taught Louis some new songs and methods and sometimes let Louis come into the bars to watch him and sometimes let him perform with him as well. On New Year’s Eve 1912 at the age of eleven Louis fired off a pistol into the air and was arrested for it and put into a detention home. A reformatory called “Colored Waif’s Home. He ended up spending a year and a half there. This detention home was run by a former soldier named Captain Jones who ran this home with discipline. There were also daily classes and regular meals. This was all beneficial for the young Louis. Most of all, there was a band and Louis wanted to be a part of it! Eventually Louis did become a part of it, first starting off with singing, then the cornet and eventually the leader of the band itself. Kerrigan 4 After his time ended at the detention home of Captain Jones in 1914, Louis went back home. He returned again to work, this time he worked delivering coal. It was during this time that Louis made friends with a man named Joe “King” Oliver who taught him even more cornet lessons. In 1917 when World War I came around, many men went to war but, Louis was too young. With the war many of the men who went were band players and Louis found himself in demand in New Orleans. While playing in New Orleans in 1918 he met his wife Daisy Parker. He also was offered a job on a riverboat that went up and down the Mississippi river. He did this for 3 years, this was great for his career because he learned to read music but, it was also bad for his marriage