They endured several hours on the train to remote Richmond, Indiana, and the band was paid little. Would you like to know Louis Armstrong's Twitter Louis Armstrong Age … [61] The sound of jazz, along with many other musicians such as Armstrong, helped shape Hughes as a writer. [125] He was interred in Flushing Cemetery, Flushing, in Queens, New York City. Many broadcast announcers, fans, and acquaintances called him "Louie" and in a videotaped interview from 1983 Lucille Armstrong calls her late husband "Louie" as well. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Armstrong, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Biography of Louis Armstrong, Turner Classic Movies - Biography of Louis Armstrong, BlackPast - Biography of Louis Daniel Armstrong, Louis Armstrong - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Louis Armstrong - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Willis Conover interviewing Louis Armstrong. Meanwhile, his longtime manager Joe Glaser died. when he was 63 years old; he was the oldest person at that time to hit the #1 ranking.. Before Fame. Some musicians criticized Armstrong for playing in front of segregated audiences, and for not taking a strong enough stand in the American civil rights movement. Louis Armstrong. They furnished music for silent movies and live shows, including jazz versions of classical music, such as "Madame Butterfly", which gave Armstrong experience with longer forms of music and with hosting before a large audience. Armstrong was virtually the first to create significant variations based on the chord harmonies of the songs instead of merely on the melodies. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. The nickname was turned on Armstrong himself. As a youngster, he sang on the streets with friends. It was on this occasion that he found out that she had a common-law husband. Louis Armstrong grew up in dire poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana. 9". [64] Following a highly successful small-group jazz concert at New York Town Hall on May 17, 1947, featuring Armstrong with trombonist/singer Jack Teagarden, Armstrong's manager, Joe Glaser dissolved the Armstrong big band on August 13, 1947, and established a six-piece traditional jazz group featuring Armstrong with (initially) Teagarden, Earl Hines and other top swing and Dixieland musicians, most of whom were previously leaders of big bands. However, Armstrong stated in his autobiography that he was a member of the Knights of Pythias, which although real is not a Masonic group. Armstrong in 1953. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? More than a great trumpeter, Armstrong was a bandleader, singer, soloist, film star, and comedian. [7] At least three other biographies treat the July 4 birth date as a myth. [6] Although he died in 1971, it was not until the mid-1980s that his true birth date, August 4, 1901, was discovered by Tad Jones by researching baptismal records. In her small home, he had to share a bed with his mother and sister. [32] In 1919, Oliver decided to go north and resigned his position in Kid Ory's band; Armstrong replaced him. Louis Daniel Armstrong talks with Studs Terkel on WFMT; 1962/6/24, to demonstrate the preparation of red beans and rice, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Queens College, City University of New York, "Louis Armstrong: 'The Man and His Music,' Part 1", "Langston Hughes Presents the History of Jazz in an Illustrated Children's Book (1995)", "Louis Armstrong And Band Get A Hot Reception", "Louis Daniel Armstrong talks with Studs Terkel on WFMT; 1962/6/24", "Louis Armstrong's secret daughter revealed, 42 years after his death", "Louis Armstrong, Barring Soviet Tour, Denounces Eisenhower and Gov. His autobiography vexed some biographers and historians, as he had a habit of telling tales, particularly of his early childhood when he was less scrutinized, and his embellishments of his history often lack consistency. Armstrong is renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice as well as his trumpet playing. Satchmo.net. In publicity, much to his chagrin, she billed him as "the World's Greatest Trumpet Player". During this period, Armstrong made many recordings and appeared in over thirty films. Alex Armstrong is a remarkably large man at a whopping 212 cm, who absolutely towers over most of the other characters in the series, making him very easy to spot in a crowd or at a distance, and has an exceptionally-sculpted and well-defined musculature honed from years of enthusiastic physical training. Louis Armstrong Birth Date August 4, 1901 Death Date July 6, 1971 Did You Know? He was a masterful accompanist and ensemble player in addition to his extraordinary skills as a soloist. [88] In a 1955 letter to his manager, Joe Glaser, Armstrong affirmed his belief that Preston's newborn baby was his daughter, and ordered Glaser to pay a monthly allowance of $400 (US$4,772 in 2019 dollars[89]) to mother and child. [91] He was heard on such radio programs as The Story of Swing (1937) and This Is Jazz (1947), and he also made television appearances, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, including appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. As a virtuoso trumpet player, Armstrong had a unique tone and an extraordinary talent for melodic improvisation. [99] He wore the Star of David in honor of the Karnoffsky family, who took him in as a child and lent him money to buy his first cornet. Willis Conover (left) interviewing Louis Armstrong for the Voice of America, 1955. Handy (1954) and Satch Plays Fats (all Fats Waller tunes) (1955) were both being considered masterpieces, as well as moderately well selling. His father abandoned the family when Louis was young. Although the story was thought to be apocryphal, Armstrong himself confirmed it in at least one interview as well as in his memoirs. With his innovations, he raised the bar musically for all who came after him. He was first sent to … ", a song by Jerry Herman, originally sung by Carol Channing. Morgenstern, Dan, and Sheldon Meyer (2004). [60] Within Hughes writings, he created many books which held the central idea of jazz and recognition to Armstrong as one of the most important person to be part of the new found love of their culture. During this time he abandoned the often blues-based original material of his earlier years for a remarkably fine choice of popular songs by such noted composers as Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, and Duke Ellington. Birth Name: Daniel Louis Armstrong. [29] Around the age of fifteen, he pimped for a prostitute named Nootsy, but that relationship failed after she stabbed Armstrong in the shoulder and his mother choked her nearly to death. [35], His first studio recordings were with Oliver for Gennett Records on April 5–6, 1923. Take a look below for 30 more fun and interesting facts about Louis Armstrong. Omissions? "What a Wonderful World" peaked on the U.S. music charts after Armstrong passed away. In late 1924 Armstrong was wooed away by Fletcher Henderson in New York City. 69. He did not perform publicly at all in 1969 and spent most of the year recuperating at home. Knowing he lived without a father, they fed and nurtured him. Just as the musicians, Hughes wrote his words with jazz. [142], On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Louis Armstrong among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. [17][18] In his memoir Louis Armstrong + the Jewish Family in New Orleans, La., the Year of 1907, he described his discovery that this family was also subject to discrimination by "other white folks" who felt that they were better than Jews: "I was only seven years old but I could easily see the ungodly treatment that the white folks were handing the poor Jewish family whom I worked for. "Gully Low Blues", "Potato Head Blues" and "Swing That Music"). With Danny Kaye he performed a duet of "When the Saints Go Marching In" during which Kaye impersonated Armstrong. He switched to the trumpet to blend in better with the other musicians in his section. Louis Armstrong died on July 6, 1971 of a heart attack at the age of 69. Although race relations were poor, Chicago was booming. Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo",[a] "Satch", and "Pops",[2] was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalist, and actor who was among the most influential figures in jazz. He found the courage to look for her home to see her away from work. [81] They checked into Kid Green's hotel that evening. It was at the Sunset Café that Armstrong accompanied singer Adelaide Hall. [79] That said, Armstrong was registered as "Lewie" for the 1920 U.S. Census. On his 1964 record "Hello, Dolly", he sings, "This is Lewis, Dolly" but in 1933 he made a record called "Laughin' Louie". Armstrong played the trumpet so powerfully that he often split his lip. He grew up in dire poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana, when jazz was very young. Louis Daniel Armstrong was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in jazz. On the next day, March 19, 1919, Armstrong and Parker married at City Hall. Lynn Rene Bayley, "More Jazz: 'Louis Armstrong – The Early Years". Altogether, his immensely compelling swing; his brilliant technique; his sophisticated, daring sense of harmony; his ever-mobile, expressive attack, timbre, and inflections; his gift for creating vital melodies; his dramatic, often complex sense of solo design; and his outsized musical energy and genius made these recordings major innovations in jazz. Alpha Smith. When it was released, the disc was a worldwide success and the song was then performed by the greatest international singers. It was the period of his greatest popularity; he produced hit recordings such as “Mack the Knife” and “Hello, Dolly!” and outstanding albums such as his tributes to W.C. Louis Armstrong, nicknamed satchmo and pops, was an american jazz trumpeter from New Orleans, Louisiana. The grandson of slaves, he worked as a paperboy and sold food he salvaged to restaurants. In 2002, the Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings (1925–1928) were preserved in the United States National Recording Registry, a registry of recordings selected yearly by the National Recording Preservation Board for preservation in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. label.[120]. [84] His relationship with Alpha, however, began while he was playing at the Vendome during the 1920s and continued long after. An album of the same title was quickly created around the song, and also shot to number one (knocking The Beatles off the top of the chart). His second wife helped him develop his career, but they separated in 1931 and divorced in 1938. [39] The Henderson Orchestra played in prominent venues for patrons only, including the Roseland Ballroom, with arrangements by Don Redman. [92], During a backstage meeting with trombonist Marshall Brown in 1959, Armstrong received the suggestion that he should go to a doctor and receive proper treatment for his lips instead of relying on home remedies, but he did not get around to doing it until the final years of his life, by which point his health was failing and doctors considered surgery too risky. In 1936, Louis Armstrong became the first African American jazz musician to … Here are the details stats about his relationship, hookup, Marriage & Rumors. [140], The house where Armstrong lived for almost 28 years was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977 and is now a museum. It became impossible under such circumstances to finance a 16-piece touring band. In 1968, Armstrong scored one last popular hit in the United Kingdom with "What a Wonderful World", which topped the British charts for a month. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on August 4, 1901. Armstrong recorded two albums with Ella Fitzgerald: Ella and Louis, and Ella and Louis Again for Verve Records, with the sessions featuring the backing musicianship of the Oscar Peterson Trio and drummers Buddy Rich (on the first album), and Louie Bellson (on the second). [121] In 1947, he played himself in the movie New Orleans opposite Billie Holiday, which chronicled the demise of the Storyville district and the ensuing exodus of musicians from New Orleans to Chicago. Louis Armstrong Biography. [110], In his early years, Armstrong was best known for his virtuosity with the cornet and trumpet. [80] In the video with Armstrong standing at her side, Lucille prepares his favorite red beans recipe and refers to "Louie" several times. [37] Armstrong's mother, May Ann Albert, came to visit him in Chicago during the summer of 1923 after being told that Armstrong was "out of work, out of money, hungry, and sick"; Hardin located and decorated an apartment for her to live in while she stayed. In 1913 he was sent to the Colored Waifs Home as a juvenile delinquent. [11] He spent his youth in poverty in a rough neighborhood known as The Battlefield. Updates? He suffered heart and kidney ailments that forced him to stop touring. "[17] His first musical performance may have been at the side of the Karnoffskys' junk wagon. The city had jobs for blacks making good wages at factories with some left over for entertainment. Learn details about who has he dated previously & Brandon's Girlfriend name, marital status & Wife. As a result, he branched out, developing his vocal style and making his first theatrical appearances. His resonant, velvety lower-register tone and bubbling cadences on sides such as "Lazy River" exerted a huge influence on younger white singers such as Bing Crosby. However, a growing generation gap became apparent between him and the young jazz musicians who emerged in the postwar era such as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Sonny Rollins. Also discover his Age, Birthday, Height, Weight, Body […] Louis then married Lucille Wilson, a singer at the Cotton Club in New York, in October 1942; they remained married until his death in 1971. A jazz pioneer, Louis Armstrong was the first important soloist to emerge in jazz, and he became the most influential musician in the music's history. His father left the family shortly after Louis was born so the boy had to spend his early years living with his grandmother. Trombonists, too, appropriated Armstrong’s phrasing, and saxophonists as different as Coleman Hawkins and Bud Freeman modeled their styles on different aspects of Armstrong’s. As with his trumpet playing, Armstrong's vocal innovations served as a foundation stone for the art of jazz vocal interpretation. If I had to choose between the two, ultimately, I wouldn't. She prodded him into wearing more stylish attire to offset his girth. By the end of Armstrong's career in the 1960s, his influence had spread to popular music in general. At the end of it, he was hospitalized for a heart attack. His irrepressible personality both as a performer and as a public figure was so strong that to some it sometimes overshadowed his contributions as a musician and singer. He lived in this household with two stepbrothers for several months. Armstrong also began to experience problems with his fingers and lips, which were aggravated by his unorthodox playing style. Birth Place: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Though his own bands usually played in a more conservative style, Armstrong was the dominant influence on the swing era, when most trumpeters attempted to emulate his inclination to dramatic structure, melody, or technical virtuosity. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Armstrong was now free to develop his personal style as he wished, which included a heavy dose of effervescent jive, such as "Whip That Thing, Miss Lil" and "Mr. Johnny Dodds, Aw, Do That Clarinet, Boy! [33], Throughout his riverboat experience, Armstrong's musicianship began to mature and expand. [91], He generally remained politically neutral, which at times alienated him from members of the black community who looked to him to use his prominence with white America to become more of an outspoken figure during the civil rights movement. Louis Armstrong was born on Sunday and have been alive for 25,538 days , Louis Armstrong next B'Day will be after 1 Months, 21 Days , See detailed result below. [94] and something of a riff on his unusual embouchure. His playing influenced virtually all subsequent jazz horn players, and the swing and rhythmic suppleness of his vocal style were important influences on singers from Billie Holiday to Bing Crosby. 9), Louis Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven Sessions, Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louis_Armstrong&oldid=1001522028, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Seven members, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2017, Articles with Encyclopædia Britannica links, Wikipedia articles with BIBSYS identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CANTIC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with CINII identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Performing arts pages with videographic documentation, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Colored Waif's Home for Boys, Fisk School for Boys, Jimmie Rodgers (featuring Louis Armstrong), This page was last edited on 20 January 2021, at 01:55. "We Have All the Time in the World" was featured on the soundtrack of the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and enjoyed renewed popularity in the UK in 1994 when it featured on a Guinness advertisement. Born. I would say that the genius of this nation at its best is indeed Walt Whitman and Louis Armstrong." [71][72] He continued an intense international touring schedule, but in 1959 he suffered a heart attack in Italy and had to rest. [91], Armstrong performed in Italy at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival where he sang "Mi Va di Cantare"[118] alongside his friend, the Eritrean-born Italian singer Lara Saint Paul. There he created his most important early works, the Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 1925–28, on which he emerged as the first great jazz soloist. In the summer of 2001, in commemoration of the centennial of Armstrong's birth, New Orleans's main airport was renamed Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. He incorporated influences from all these sources into his performances, sometimes to the bewilderment of fans who wanted him to stay in convenient narrow categories. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. He scooped the coins off the street and stuck them into his mouth to prevent bigger children from stealing them. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The popularity he gained brought together many black and white audiences to watch him perform.[63]. Louis loved all kinds of music. In the 1960s, he toured Ghana and Nigeria. 'Red Beans and Ricely yours, Louis Armstrong.'. Sunday 04 Aug 1901. [91], Armstrong was concerned with his health. [21] Armstrong joined a quartet of boys who sang in the streets for money. Armstrong appeared at many New York area venues, including several extended engagements at Freedomland U.S.A. in The Bronx. His act included singing and telling tales of New Orleans characters, especially preachers. He appeared in movies again, including Crosby's 1936 hit Pennies from Heaven. The park where Congo Square is located was later renamed Louis Armstrong Park. In 1969, he had a cameo role in Gene Kelly's film version of Hello, Dolly! During the next 30 years, Armstrong played more than 300 performances a year. Bix Beiderbecke died and Fletcher Henderson's band broke up. [124] He was residing in Corona, Queens, New York City, at the time of his death. [91] The most common tale that biographers tell is the story of Armstrong as a young boy in New Orleans dancing for pennies. Armstrong was performing at the Brick House in Gretna, Louisiana, when he met Daisy Parker, a local prostitute. ..."Uh-huh"..."Sure"..."Way down, way down." He sponsored a local baseball team known as Armstrong's Secret Nine and had a cigar named after him. On various live records he's called "Louie" on stage, such as on the 1952 "Can Anyone Explain?" "[23], Borrowing his stepfather's gun without permission, he fired a blank into the air and was arrested on December 31, 1912. [4] Around 1922, he followed his mentor, Joe "King" Oliver, to Chicago to play in the Creole Jazz Band. "[66] He called bebop "Chinese music". Armstrong's famous interpretation of Carmichael's "Stardust" became one of the most successful versions of this song ever recorded, showcasing Armstrong's unique vocal sound and style and his innovative approach to singing songs that had already become standards. Long before this, however, Armstrong was playing around with his vocals, shortening and lengthening phrases, interjecting improvisations, using his voice as creatively as his trumpet. [76], Armstrong made his last recorded trumpet performances on his 1968 album Disney Songs the Satchmo Way.[77]. Although he died in 1971, it was not until the mid-1980s that his true birth date, August 4, 1901, was discovered by Tad Jones by researching baptismal records. Implying ii-V’s over existing chords. Popular Performers. He met the six-foot tall drummer Black Benny, who became his guide and bodyguard. By the 1950s, he was an official spokesman for Ansatz-Creme Lip Salve. Louis Armstrong is considered the leading trumpeter and one of the most influential artists in jazz history, who helped develop jazz into a fine art. He avidly typed or wrote on whatever stationery was at hand, recording instant takes on music, sex, food, childhood memories, his heavy "medicinal" marijuana use—and even his bowel movements, which he gleefully described. [101] In a live recording of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Velma Middleton, he changes the lyric from "Put another record on while I pour" to "Take some Swiss Kriss while I pour. Cortázar once called Armstrong himself "Grandísimo Cronopio" (The Great Cronopio). For a time he was a member of the Lil Hardin Armstrong Band and working for his wife. Interesting Facts About Louis Armstrong. Fearn, who was at the session, kept telling him to continue. [143], American jazz trumpeter, composer and singer. His mother often had to resort to prostitution to provide for the family. Reccomended to watch. His agent Johnny Collins's erratic behavior and his own spending ways left Armstrong short of cash. Louis Armstrong's trumpet playing revolutionized the world of music, and he became one of our century's most recognized and best loved entertainers. Her influence eventually undermined Armstrong's relationship with his mentor, especially concerning his salary and additional money that Oliver held back from Armstrong and other band members. [81][82] They adopted a three-year-old boy, Clarence, whose mother, Armstrong's cousin Flora, had died soon after giving birth. At twenty, he could read music. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Leaving this era to be known as the “Roaring 20’s” Louis was born in Louisiana, the heart of jazz. It has given me something to live for. 6 Jul 1971. The new group was announced at the opening of Billy Berg's Supper Club. Louis Armstrong died at his home in Queens on July 6, 1971. Louis Armstrong was known for his beautiful trumpet playing, unmistakable voice, and infectious smile—but most people don’t know his dark history. He earned a reputation at "cutting contests" and his fame reached band leader Fletcher Henderson. Bunk Johnson taught him how to play by ear when Armstrong was eleven and had … When the mob insisted that he get out of town,[56] Armstrong visited New Orleans, had a hero's welcome, and saw old friends. Armstrong was the first African American to host a nationally broadcast radio show in the 1930s. However, he did criticize President Eisenhower for not acting forcefully enough on civil rights. Peter Davis, who frequently appeared at the home at the request of Captain Jones,[26] became Armstrong's first teacher and chose him as bandleader. [40][41], In 1925, Armstrong returned to Chicago largely at the insistence of Lil, who wanted to expand his career and his income. Additionally, jazz itself was transformed from a collectively improvised folk music to a soloist's serious art form largely through his influence. Faubus", David Margolick, The Day Louis Armstrong Made Noise, "9 Things You May Not Know About Louis Armstrong – History Lists", "Rare Footage of Duke Ellington Highlights When Jazz and Baseball Were in Perfect Harmony", "NPR's Jazz Profiles from NPR: Louis Armstrong: The Singer", "Louis Armstrong's Secret Lessons From Judaism", Hit Parade Italia – Festival di Sanremo 1968, "High Society (1956) - High Society Calpyso", "Louis Armstrong, Jazz Trumpeter and Singer, Dies", "Louis Armstrong Dies: 1971 Year in Review", "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll", "At Home with Harold Bloom: (3) The Jazz Bridge", "Here Are Hundreds More Artists Whose Tapes Were Destroyed in the UMG Fire", Louis Armstrong: discography and early recordings (RealPlayer format), "Louis Armstrong Transcription Project – John P Birchall", Discography of American Historical Recordings, "How (and Why) I Grew to Love King Louis", "When I Pick Up That Horn, That's All" by Nat Hentoff, "Louis Armstrong collected news and commentary", You Won't Be Satisfied (Until You Break My Heart), The Complete Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong on Verve. He did return to New Orleans periodically. [42] He formed Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and recorded the hits "Potato Head Blues" and "Muggles". His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in jazz. Authors; Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong. Armstrong was not the first to record scat singing, but he was masterful at it and helped popularize it with the first recording on which he scatted, "Heebie Jeebies". Morris Karnoffsky gave Armstrong an advance toward the purchase of a cornet from a pawn shop. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Louis Armstrong was 69 Years, 11 Months, 2 Days old. He had a part in the film alongside James Stewart in The Glenn Miller Story. On February 4, 1924, he married Lil Hardin Armstrong, King Oliver's pianist. Shortly afterward, Armstrong received an invitation to go to New York City to play with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, the top African-American band of the time. "[135] In 1950, Bing Crosby, the most successful vocalist of the first half of the 20th century, said, "He is the beginning and the end of music in America."[136]. He also got into trouble. [91], The trumpet is a notoriously hard instrument on the lips, and Armstrong suffered from lip damage over much of his life due to his aggressive style of playing and preference for narrow mouthpieces that would stay in place easier, but which tended to dig into the soft flesh of his inner lip. By that time Armstrong was playing trumpet, and his technique was superior to that of all competitors. Louis spent the first years of his life with his grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. Bing Crosby and many other celebrities were regulars at the club. [83] His marriage to Parker ended when they separated in 1923. He nonetheless made his greatest impact on the evolution of jazz itself, which at the start of his career was popularly considered to be little more than a novelty. The album sold very well for the rest of the year, quickly going "Gold" (500,000). It was during Hall's tenure at the venue that she experimented, developed and expanded her use and art of scat singing with Armstrong's guidance and encouragement. His most familiar role was as the bandleader cum narrator in the 1956 musical High Society starring Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Celeste Holm. He retained vestiges of the style in such masterpieces as “Hotter than That,” “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue,” “Wild Man Blues,” and “Potato Head Blues” but largely abandoned it while accompanied by pianist Earl Hines (“West End Blues” and “Weather Bird”). In the process, he dislodged the Beatles from the No. He embarked on another world tour, but a heart attack forced him to take a break for two months. To distinguish them from other hawkers, he tried playing a tin horn to attract customers. Holiday said that she always wanted Bessie Smith's 'big' sound and Armstrong's feeling in her singing. It reached number 3 in the charts on being re-released. [27], On June 14, 1914, Armstrong was released into the custody of his father and his new stepmother, Gertrude. [11] About two years later, he had a daughter, Beatrice "Mama Lucy" Armstrong, who was raised by Albert. ", which gave the 63-year-old performer a U.S. record as the oldest artist to have a number one song. As a protest, Armstrong canceled a planned tour of the Soviet Union on behalf of the State Department saying: "The way they're treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell" and that he could not represent his government abroad when it was in conflict with its own people. 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