Armstrong childhood was very difficult as his father, a factory worker, abandoned him soon after his birth. His mother, who was a prostitute, always left him with his maternal grandmother. Armstrong at fifth grade was obligated to leave school to work. His first job was collecting junk and delivering coal while his boss encouraged his often times to sing. Armstrong was sent to the “colored of waif’s home for boys” on the night of New Year’s Eve in 1912 due to firing his step father’s gun into the air. While being on the “colored of waif’s home for boys” he was introduced to the cornet while receiving musical instruction were he then fell in love with music. He was released in 1914, were he then began “dreaming of his life making music”. Even though he still had to work many “odd jobs” he began making a fine reputation as a blues player. Joe “king” Oliver, who was one of the best cornet players in town began to mentoring teen Armstrong often “showing him pointers of the horn and occasionally using him as a …show more content…
In the summer of 1919 Armstrong spent his time “playing on riverboats with a band led by Fate Marable”. Due to the encounter with the riverboat it was that Louis perfected his reading skills and eventually encountered some of the biggest jazz legends. Armstrong was very excited at the time cause he was about to become another legend. In the summer of 1922 “king” Oliver made a very special invitation to Armstrong to join his “Creole Jazz Band on second cornet” in Chicago. He stormed to Chicago were on April 5, 1923 he created his first recording with Oliver and earned “his first solo on “Chimes