When and where was Louis Armstrong born?
Louis Daniel Armstrong was born in New Orleans on the 4th of August 1901. He grew up in a rough neighborhood known as The Battlefield on Rampart Street.
Questions about Louis Armstrong
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Louis Armstrong get his start playing music?
His first musical performance may have been at the side of the Karnoffskys junk wagon where he played a tin horn. Morris Karnoffsky gave him an advance toward purchasing a cornet from a pawn shop after feeding and nurturing him.
What happened during the Okeh Records session that created Heebie Jeebies?
Sheet music fell on the floor before Armstrong could pick it up so he started singing nonsense syllables while Okeh President E.A. Fearn told him to continue. That version became pressed to disc sold and turned into an unexpected hit called Heebie Jeebies in 1926.
Why did Louis Armstrong cancel his planned tour of the Soviet Union in 1957?
Armstrong denounced Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus and President Dwight D. Eisenhower for their treatment of African Americans following conflict over school desegregation in Little Rock Arkansas. He stated government could go to hell since they were treating his people badly in South and could not represent his government abroad when it was in conflict with its own people.
When did Louis Armstrong die and what caused his death?
Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack in sleep the 6th of July 1971. He resided in Corona Queens New York City at the time of his death.