The Life and Skyrocketing Career of Louis Armstrong – Mr. Jazz

“If anybody was Mr. Jazz it was Louis Armstrong. He was the epitome of jazz and always will be. He is what I call an American standard, an American original”. A tribute from Duke Ellington, an American composer and jazz band leader, in honor of the passing musical genius; Louis Armstrong. Considered one of the most influential musical artists in the history of jazz, Armstrong’s career spanned five decades covering several eras in the history of jazz. Despite his tough upbringing, Armstrong saw minor opportunities and molded them to build a skyrocketing career. 

Louis Daniel Armstrong, one of two children, was born in early August 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana, raised in a neighborhood so rough and threatening it was called “The Battlefield”. Armstrong dropped out of school to start working, stopping at only a fifth-grade education. He made money through working various menial jobs to help provide for his mom and little sister. Armstrong’s first job was working for Jewish immigrants, the Karnofsky family, who loaned him money to purchase his first cornet, an instrument similar to the trumpet but wider with a calmer tone. Never forgetting their kindness, Armstrong wore a Star of David throughout his adult life symbolizing his appreciation to the Jewish family that supported him as a child. 

Not yet 12 years old, Armstrong fired his stepfather’s gun on New Year’s Eve earning him a serious arrest. The Times-Democrat mentioned Armstrong’s arrest as the “most serious case” of that New Year’s evening. Fearing that if young Armstrong was left unpunished he would continue to get into trouble, the judge sentenced him to live in the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys, a reformatory for young boys who got into trouble. Knowing the toxicity of the neighborhood Armstrong was brought up in, it took a while for him to be accepted in the home’s musical group. By proving he could behave, Armstrong earned his place in the musical group building his way up to the top. There, under the guidance of Peter Davis, he learned how to properly play the cornet eventually becoming the leader of the Maple Leaf Band, the Colored Waif Home’s musical group. Armstrong owes the essence of his music career to his arrest as he once said “ I do believe that my whole success goes back to that time I was arrested as a wayward boy at the age of twelve because then I had to quit running around and began to learn something. Most of all, I began to learn music”. Leaving the home, Armstrong started taking his passion for music more seriously playing with a number of different bands. He learned a great deal about music from popular musicians like Bunk Johnson and Buddy Petit. His most influential teacher was, no other than, Joe ‘King’ Oliver whom Armstrong considered his mentor. When Armstrong was only fifteen years old, Joe ‘King’ Oliver arranged for him to play with the band of Fate Marble, an American jazz pianist and bandleader. Armstrong later took Oliver’s place in Edward ‘Kid’ Ory’s band, one of the main jazz bands in New Orleans. 

Although Armstrong was saddened by Oliver’s departure in, he was in awe when he found out he was chosen by Kid Ory to replace his mentor. “What a thrill that was! To think I was considered up to taking Joe Oliver’s place in the best band in town! I couldn't hardly wait to get to Mayann’s [ his mother ] place to tell her the good news.” Being a member of such a popular band, Armstrong was tested daily by some of the top players, and he knew he had to prove he deserved a spot to his colleagues in Kid’s band. 

Not much later, Armstrong began to win the jazz community over starting a prosperous musical career. After two years with Kid’s band, Armstrong began considering more challenging career decisions. He left the band and joined the Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra, New York’s top African-American dance band, the best at that time. Armstrong played with them for a little over a year where he made a number of recordings under the band’s name. This transformed Henderson’s Orchestra into what is today considered one of the first huge jazz bands in history. This was a huge turning point for Armstrong’s career and the history of jazz. In that time frame, Armstrong produces a spectacular amount of recorded work. In light of his strong upcoming, Armstrong was signed by Okeh records, an American record label established in 1916. There he started a group, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five, where he collaborated with the top New Orleans Musician. The artists held different places in this studio-group, Kid Ory on the trombone, Johnny Dodds the clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr the banjo, Lil Harden on the piano, and later on, Earl ‘Fatha’ Hines joined in on the piano as well. A remarkable impact in Jazz history was made the day Armstrong recorded the song ‘Heebie Jeebies’. He recorded the song the first time exactly the way it was written; feeling it was lacking originality, Armstrong recorded it again. The second time recording, he improvised a set of sounds as if he was playing an instrument with his mouth, a method known as scat. Famous jazz musicians who were still young at the time, were aspiring to mimic Armstrong’s scat methods. Artists like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and other artists grew up and added this method to their own music. Decades later, scat is still taking on the jazz world. 

In light of Armstrong’s skyrocketing career, it seemed like nothing could come in the way of him and his music. Unfortunately, something did, beyond Armstrong’s control The Great Depression struck. This meant not many fans could afford to go to clubs which led to the end of many artists’ careers. Trying to make a living, many artists took jobs completely unrelated to music, some became cab drivers and others became tailors. Armstrong, on the other hand, was not willing to let go of his music career that easily. A few months into his setback, Armstrong made a drastic career change. He decided it was best for his music career if he moved away from both New York City and Chicago. He eventually bought a ticket to Los Angeles. Seeking new fan bases and publicity, Armstrong hired a new manager, Johnny Collins. Collins’ guidance helped Armstrong take on his very first tour. Not forgetting his upbringing, Armstrong arrived for a show in New Orleans; he has not been there for almost 9 years. Armstrong met Joseph Jones and Peter Davis from the home. He was asked if he could make an appearance in the home and Armstrong gladly accepted. “Armstrong took a walk through the dormitory where he once lived. When he found his old bunk, he crawled under the sheets and actually fell asleep”. 

Not all his stops were welcoming, when Armstring and his bandmates were hopping on a bus, the bus driver refused to welcome them and they were victims of the US segregation laws. Armstrong was imprisoned alongside his band members before being bailed out by a stage owner. After touring the US, Collins’ decided it was best if Armstrong reached out to his European fans; unraveling his music to places outside of the US. He visited countries like Britain, Denmark, France, Scandinavia, and Holland. This spread his name through larger platforms and invited many new people to fall in love with jazz. Europeans loved the ‘American-made’ musical genre, it has especially caught on in England. Armstrong stayed touring between England and Scotland for about 4 months. A critic called him a “wizard with a trumpet”, and another one said he was “the best thing the US has ever sent to Europe.” Some critics, on the other hand, were unkind and racist. One British critic said that Armstrong “looks and behaves like and untrained gorilla”. 

There was simply nothing Armstrong couldn't do, in 1936, Armstrong appeared in Pennies for Heaven, a major Hollywood motion picture. He appeared alongside Bing Crosby, one of the biggest movie stars of that age. This made Armstrong the first African-American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie. His role showed what he could bring to a movie screen, and helped him land many roles on the big screen. Armstrong was one of the few African-Americans who was accepted into the white-run movie business. He brought a great deal of joy into any movie he was in and his appearance appealed to many ticket buyers. 

Armstrong continued releasing hits all through the 1940s and 1950s. He recorded songs like super hits ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘That Lucky Old Sun’, ‘La Vie En Rose’, and ‘I Get Ideas’. During the mid-1950s, Armstrong’s international career hit new heights and he performed globally to sold-out crowds in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Changing the world with his music, Armstrong’s 1967 single ‘What a wonderful world’ was an iconic song that charted through the top of European musical billboards. It was a celebration of all that is good in the world as a way of taking the political tension and racism out of the US at the time. It tanked in the US since a lot of people despised the message behind the influential song, but it remained number 1 in the UK and other European countries. 

In appreciation to the influence Armstrong has spread throughout the US and Europe, in 1972, Armstrong was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Recordings of Armstrong were also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, it displays songs that are over 25 years old and have a historical and qualitative significance. His recordings were also displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, Armstrong’s ‘West End Blues’ was named on the list of 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll. Armstrong died in his sleep on July 6th, 1971 due to a heart attack. He had been suffering from heart, liver and kidney disorders for several months. Although, almost 10 days before his passing Armstrong seemed to be in tip-top health and was actually hinting on going back to public performing. Armstrong’s death struck the hearts of millions and was a tragedy through America and Europe. Many significant figures spoke out honoring the late musician and expressing how tragic Armstrong’s passing was to the American culture as a whole. President Nixon released a statement in light of the new saying 'Mrs. Nixon and I share the sorrow of millions of Americans at the death of Louis Armstrong. One of the architects of an American art form, a free and individual spirit, and an artist of worldwide fame, his great talents and magnificent spirit added richness and pleasure to all our lives.” 

No one could deny the light and happiness Armstrong’s music and character brought to the world. He not only changed the history of music, but also taught many acceptance, humble acts, and passion. Armstrong left the world leaving behind an immortal legacy showing humanity and compassion. Almost 50 years later, his legacy, music, and charisma are alive, remembered, and taken as guidance.