Louis Armstrong

Louis Daniel Armstrong was the most influential musician in jazz history and one of the defining cultural figures of the twentieth century. Born in dire poverty in the Storyville district of New Orleans, he learned cornet at the Colored Waif's Home for Boys and came up through the brass band tradition under the mentorship of King Oliver. His Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings of 1925-28 helped define jazz improvisation as we know it, and his rhythmic and melodic innovations transformed American popular music. Though primarily identified with jazz, Armstrong's roots in the blues were profound: his vocal style, with its gravelly warmth and impeccable phrasing, directly influenced every subsequent blues and R&B singer. His recordings with Bessie Smith are masterpieces of blues accompaniment. He became the most famous entertainer in the world and remained a vital performing force until shortly before his death in 1971.