Share

Louis Armstrong biography

2 photos

Quick Facts

  • NAME: Louis Armstrong
  • OCCUPATION: Singer, Trumpet Player
  • BIRTH DATE: August 04, 1901
  • DEATH DATE: July 06, 1971
  • EDUCATION: Fisk School for Boys, Colored Waif's Home for Boys
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: New Orleans, Louisiana
  • PLACE OF DEATH: Corona, Queens, New York
  • Nickname: "Pops"
  • Nickname: "Satchmo"
  • Full Name: Louis Armstrong
  • Nickname: "Ambassador Satch"

Best Known For

Louis Armstrong was a trumpeter, bandleader, singer, soloist, film star and comedian. Considered one of the most influential artists in jazz history, he is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Via En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World."


Videos see all videos

Quiz

Think you know about Biography?

Answer questions and see how you rank against other players.

Play Now
Louis Armstrong - Mini Biography watch more videos (8)

In the 1980s and '90s, younger African-American jazz musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Jon Faddis and Nicholas Payton began speaking about Armstrong's importance, both as a musician and a human being. 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.

Armstrong's home in Corona,

Queens was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977; today, the house is home to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, which annually receives thousands of visitors from all over the world. Arguably the most important figure in 20th century music, Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist are widely recognized today, and will continue to be for decades to come.

© 2013 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

ADVERTISEMENT

RECOMMENDED LINKS

Black History People

Black History Videos

9188912 9188912
profile id: 9188912
profile name: Louis Armstrong
profile occupation:
related profile id: 9188912
related profile name: Louis Armstrong
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/A/Louis-Armstrong-9188912-2-402.jpeg
related profile URL: /people/louis-armstrong-9188912
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups
    • Famous Harlem Residents

      After the Civil War, many of the country's best and brightest black advocates, artists, entrepreneurs and intellectuals moved to the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Thanks largely to the efforts of these residents, Harlem became both the cradle of a cultural revolution and the heart of the civil rights movement. Meet some of the many people who gave—and continue to give—this neighborhood a voice, simply by calling it home.

      View group

      Famous Harlem Residents 62 people in this group

    • Gap-Toothed Grinners

      They've been referred to as a sign of happiness, luck, good fortune, sexuality and wanderlust. Cultures all around the world have their take on gap teeth, and now—thanks to prominent figures who proudly flash the space in their smile—they're considered a mark of beauty and individuality. Here are a few of the stars who helped to make gap teeth fashionable, proving to men and women everywhere that they no longer need to be ashamed of their grins.

      View group

      Gap-Toothed Grinners 49 people in this group

    • Famous Jazz Musicians

      With its roots in the blues, jazz has been referred to as America's classical music, yet has also become a major global phenomenon, branching off into a variety of forms. Earlier pioneers like Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton paved the way for the swinging big-band sounds of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. In contrast, contemporaries Dizzie Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk developed bebop, with its speedy, dissonant harmonies and improvisations. And Miles Davis heralded the birth of cool jazz, modal jazz and fusion at different points in his career. Famous jazz instrumentalists have tended to be male, yet women have been at the forefront of the genre when it comes to vocalization, from the brassy blues of Bessie Smith to the haunting eclecticism of Nina Simone.

      View group

      Famous Jazz Musicians 29 people in this group

    See all related groups


    ADVERTISEMENT

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!