Louis Armstrong
Bandleader, trumpet player, musician, film star and comedian, Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists of The Harlem Renaissance
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EARLY LIFE
It all started when Louis Armstrong was born on August 4th, 1901 in Louisiana, New Orleans. Growing up, Armstrong lived a very tough childhood. Him and his family lived in a place called "The Battlefield" which was one of the most poor places in New Orleans. Unfortunately, both of his parents left him with his maternal grandmother while the father abandoned him right before birth, and the mother pursued prostitution. Later, Armstrong left school after 5th grade to begin working.
HIS CAREER
Armstrong began to play for small gigs including funerals, small clubs and parades around town. His career continued to flourish when he moved again two years later to New York to play at the Roseland Ballroom, then in 1929 he finally made it to performing on Broadway. He also began appearing in movies starting in 1932. Becoming very successful, Armstrong continued to prove that he was influential and incredible in the music aspect. He was in fact the first African American jazz musician to write an autobiography, Swing That Music.
LATER CAREER
The musician battled some serious health problems hen he went on tour in the late 50's when he suffered from a heart attack in 1959 while in Italy. However, this did not stop the talented performer. He continued to be a hit in the 1960's when Armstrong came out with his record "Hello Dolly" which climbed to the top of the pop music charts and taking the spot for number 1. Armstrong was newly recognized by the younger audiences, which continued to make him musical genius ad sensation worldwide.
Page By Erin Heller
LAST YEARS
In 1968, Armstrong's health issues finally started becoming a bigger issue then before. He unfortunately had to stop performing in 1969 due to his kidney and heart problems. He was not completely finish with his career yet, he still continued to perform and play the trumpet publicly. Sadly, Armstrong died in his sleep on July 6th 1971 in his home in Queens New York. Although, his legacy still lives on. His home in Queens became a historic landmark, while today Louis Armstrong is still one of the the greatest figures of the 20th century.
"Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of New Orleans. It has given me something to live for" - Louis Armstrong