Louis Armstrong also known as ‘Satchmo’, ‘Satch’ or ‘Pops’ was an American trumpeter, singer, composer and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in Jazz. He was born on the 1st of August 1901 and died on the 6th of July 1971 of a heart attack. Louis’ career spanned from the 1920’s to the 1960’s (5 decades). He was a foundational influence because he shifted the focus of music from ‘collective improvisation’ to solo performance. Armstrong demonstrated great talent and skill as an improviser as he was able to bend the lyrics and melody of a song for any expressive purpose. Away from home, Louis Armstrong started paying more attention to music and so he began playing in a number of bands. He also learnt about music from …show more content…
Looking for better career prospects, he left Oliver in 1924 and joined Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra, the top African-American dance band in New York City at the time. The Great Depression set in went from 1929 to 1939. He moved to Los Angeles in 1930 and played at the New Cotton Club. This club was quite often visited by the Hollywood crowd and celebrates like Bing Crosby.
During 1930 he travelled a lot. He visited countries like Britain, Denmark, France, Scandinavia, and Holland where he gave concerts. His popularity as a performer reached new heights when it became the late 1930’s. In 1936 he also ventured into films and played a band leader in the motion picture ‘Pennies from Heaven’ with Bing Crosby. He became the first African-American to get featured billing in a major Hollywood movie. Throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s he continued performing and recording. Armstrong realised a string of super hits like ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘That Lucky Old Sun’, ‘La Vie En Rose’, and ‘I Get Ideas’. During the mid-1950’s his international popularity skyrocketed and he embarked on ‘World Tours’ to many countries. He performed in front of SOLD OUT crowds in Africa, America, and