Louis Armstrong was America’s greatest jazz musician. He was born in New Orleans , the birthplace of jazz. His father left the family shortly after Louis was born so the boy had to spend his early years living with his grandmother. Louis loved all kinds of music. He bought an old cornet and learned how to play. When he was in third grade he dropped out of school and started singing on the streets to get money for his family.

Louis spent his teenage years selling newspapers and unloading bananas from boats. In his free time he listened to the famous bands of that time. Later on, he started performing on steamboats and during this period he learned how to read music and play classical pieces on the cornet.In 1922 Louis started playing in a band in Chicago and later on moved to New York, where he played in one of the city’s most famous bands. No one else could play like he could. He hit the highest notes easily and played great solos.

After a few years in New York he went back to Chicago where he made his first recordings. Here he started playing the trumpet. During one of the recordings Louis dropped his text on the floor. The producer told him to keep on singing so Louis improvised and sung syllables that had no meaning. This became known as “scat singing”. Soon many other jazz musicians tried to copy this style of singing.

His records made him famous and when he moved back to New York in 1929 bandleaders all over the city wanted to have Louis in their orchestras.He not only recorded music, but also performed on Broadway and played in movies. Louis Armstrong was a singer, dancer and master of the trumpet. He travelled all over the world and made people happy through his music.


Louis Armstrong
Image: New York World-Telegram and Sun ,
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