Luis Armstrong
My paper is about probably America’s most influential artist; trumpeter, composer and leader Louis Armstrong. He was born in a time when a black boy could expect nothing but to grow up, work hard at the lowest jobs all his life, and hope somehow, somewhere manage to stay healthy and get a little out of life."(P.1 Collier) He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901 to Mayanne and William Armstrong. Louie was raised by his grandmother Josephine Armstrong as an infant because his father abandoned him and his mother around the time of his birth. He started his life living in the slums of New Orleans. He grew up in a tough area known, as "The Battlefield" where knife fights and guns play were common. At the age of about seven he moved to black Stormville, back with his mother and his sister. Stormville consisted of dance halls honky tons and brothels. It was an entertainment district like London's Soho. He grew up with music all around him, so he could hear music from outside his house when he woke up and when he went to bed. The family was forced to live in complete poverty. One fact we do know about Louis is that he was arrested on New Years Eve 1912 for shooting a gun. Louis wa
s around eleven at the time, and this was a very serious offense. This mistake turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. He was sent to the Coloreds Waif House a reform school on the out skirts of New Orleans. Here Louis was introduced to organized music in the form of the school band. Captain Joseph Jones ran the school band in a military fashion that was extremely strict. It was there that he was introduced to Peter Davis - the brass band leader who taught him how to play the cornet (Brown 17). Louis's life changed from delinquent to a disciplined young man this. Professor Davis had more to do with Louis' self respect and discipline than with musicianship. He formed a positive relationship with Luis, and became a father figure, whose discipline Louis was willing to except. "Until this time, he had more or less acquiesced to the life into which he had been born, a world of pimps, thieves, hookers, and gamblers, of random violence and enigmatic jolts of good fortune." (Bergreen P. 75) Soon after he began playing, Armstrong was made leader of the band. This is when Louis began to come into his own as a performer. His personality was born, he wasn't just a musician, he was a true entertainer He was hired by various cabarets throughout the city, as well as for picnics, dances, and funerals. In June of 1914, Armstrong was free to leave the Waifs' Home. He returned to the old neighborhood living with his father amongst chaos of gambling, pimps, prostitutes and drug dealer stand. He worked selling papers, unloading boats, and selling coal from a cart, not once picking up the instrument he fell in love with at the Waif Home. He left the home at age fourteen on his father’s request and for all practical reasons his childhood was over. He moved back in with his mother and started playing music again. He played back in the old neighborhood dance halls and saloons that were run by gangsters. Then in 1917 prostitution in Storyville was outlawed, and Storyville became a ghost town. "For Louis Armstrong, the closing of Storyville meant more than a bawdy diversion it was the end of a way of life on which he had relied since he was a child." (Bergreen p. 110) Once playing on this place the famous Joe `King’ Oliver, his idol, spotted him. (Louis followed King Oliver wherever he was playing. Luis would show up and ask to carry his bag and help out with other things). He hooked up with Joe, and started playing in New Orleans Country Clubs, expensive restaurants, and even at private parties in the homes of wealthy whites, trained by Joe. King Oliver recognized Louise's talent and gave Louis job that he couldn't take. King Oliver, Louis's mentor left North to Chicago while Louis stayed behind; he still didn't earn enough from his music to support himself. . Louis Armstrong was hired in May of 1919 to play on a ri
Some topics in this essay:
Louis Armstrong,
Sevens Louis,
Davis Louis',
Hot Fives,
Josephine Armstrong,
Paul IV,
King Oliver,
Henderson Band,
Waif Home,
London's Soho,
louis armstrong,
king oliver,
hot fives,
hot fives sevens,
school band,
henderson band,
music business,
fives sevens,
st louis,
dance halls,
charlie parker,
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Approximate Word count = 1911
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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