Louis D. Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, adoringly referred to as “Satchmo,” was born August 4, 1901, but chose to celebrate his birthday on July 4th, America’s Independence Day. He was the first important jazz soloist and became its most influential musician. As a trumpet virtuoso, his highly imaginative, emotionally charged playing charted a future for jazz improvisation. Revered by his fans, the King of Jazz was appropriately crowned “King Zulu” in the 1949 Mardi Gras Zulu Parade. Armstrong became an enduring figure in popular music, displaying his distinctively phrased bass singing and engaging personality in a series of vocal recordings and film roles. Referred to as “The American Goodwill Ambassador,” Louis Armstrong was the jazzman of his era and truly the most renowned American musician of the 20th Century.

New Orleans, Louisiana · United States