How Did Louis Armstrong Impact Society

THE LIFE AND IMPACT OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG.
Louis Armstrong, born on the 4th of August 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana, was an American jazz singer and trumpeter. He came from a very poor background. His father, a factory worker abandoned his family forcing his mother into prostitution as a source of income. Louis dropped out of school in fifth grade to work and sing in the streets for money. The Jewish family he worked for treated him as family and encouraged his musical talent.
In 1912, Armstrong was arrested and sent to Colored Waif’s Home for Boys where he received musical tutorials. He discovered his talent in playing the cornet and fell in love with music. In 1914, he left and immediately began playing with a number of bands. He received mentorship

He travelled a lot in the 1930s performing in countries such as Denmark, Britain, and France. In 1936, he played in a band with Bing Crosby, one of the 20th Century’s bestselling recording artist. He also appeared in major films and radio. He further released successful recordings including ‘Swing That Music, Struttin’ with Some Barbecue and Jubilee’. (Editors 2017)
In 1954, he recorded a masterpiece named ‘Louis Armstrong plays with W. C. Handy’. This album featured timeless hits such as ‘Yellow Dog Blues, St Louis Blues, and Loveless Love’. In the 1950s-1960s, he was at the peak of his career performing 300 nights a year. Louis released a single ‘What a Wonderful World’ in 1967 which hit No.1 in the U.K and Australia. It also featured in the top ten of Denmark, Norway, Ireland, and Belgium. In 1972, Armstrong received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts and

He was the first black entertainer to speak on matters pertaining race and publicly criticize racism. He first spoke publicly about race relations in September of 1957 where he criticized his country for the desegregation of public schools. This was a result of an incident in Little Rocks, where a national guard prevented black students from accessing the school. As a public figure, he caught the attention of the media and government officials in his attempt to fight for the rights of these students. (Hersch