Louis Armstrong

Part I of Essay
(1900-1971), known as "Satchmo," was born in New Orleans. He occupied himself as a street-singer for much of his childhood, until he was arrested for firing a bullet into the air on New Year's Eve. He was then placed in a home where he was taught to play cornet by one of th ....

Part II of Essay
.... wordless singing derived from folk and blues music. He continued touring with his own groups, generally consisting of six to eight- musician groups ( Hot Five, Six, & Seven) through the thirties and forties, his fame only hampered by the fact that the best venues were generally reserved for white musicians. In his later years, Armstrong remained a good trumpet player. As his health declined, he began to rely more upon his singing than his trumpet playing. He became known to a generation as a singer and an entertainer rather than as a trumpe ....