Louis Armstrong: A Great American Jazz Icon

Kerrigan 2 Louis Armstrong also known as Satchmo and or Pops was a great American Jazz artist who came from very humble beginnings to become one of the greatest music legends of all times. Known not only for his great talents on the trumpet but, for the cornet and his scat-style singing. A style of vocal jazz creativeness in which the vocalist alternates nonsense syllables for lyrics. Scat singing is often used to emulate the type of musical line that a jazz instrumentalist would play. Armstrong would go on to also write two autobiographies and star in more than 30 films. Born August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana to a teenage mother named Maryann Albert and a factory worker father whose name was Willie Armstrong, Louis was only just a baby of a few weeks when he was sent to live with his grandma Josephine Armstrong. His mother and father separated for a short time only to get back together long enough to create a sister for Louis …show more content…
He sold newspapers and vegetables and sometimes sang with friends for money. [1] He also was in charge of looking after his little sister. In essence he was the man of the house. While Louis was singing on the streets he was the happiest and always had a happy grin. He had such a wide grin he was given the nickname “Satchelmouth” later shortened to “Satchmo” Eventually he had made enough extra money to buy himself a cornet, a brass instrument similar to a trumpet but, shorter and wider. He taught himself to play this instrument. At the young age of eleven he quit school so that he could go to work full time to help support his