When it comes to jazz, there must be one person who can't avoid it, and that is the most influential jazz master of all time, Louis Armstrong.
He was the first jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time magazine. On the cover he wears a crown made of a few small trumpets, and at the bottom of the cover is his famous words: "When you got to ask what it is, you never get to know. (When you ask what a jazz is, you'll never know.) )”
His signature smile has infected many people, including white people in that era of white-hot racial issues.
Armstrong became famous for playing trumpets in his early years, and another jazz pioneer, Miles Davis, even said, "You can't blow anything that Louis hasn't blown." ”
He later stood out from the crowd of jazz singers with his distinctive husky voice.
One of his masterpieces, What A Wonderful World, topped the UK Pop Charts, has been covered by many singers since its release in 1967.
With his unique personal charm and constant innovation in jazz, Louis Armstrong brought jazz from New Orleans to the world, influencing many jazz and even rock singers.
Maybe you haven't heard much about jazz and don't know the iconic character of jazz; maybe you know a little bit about him and listen to the songs he plays, but there are five things about him that will make you know more about him.
Confusing date of birth
The date of birth of the jazz soul figure has been confusing for years.
Because armstrong insisted on declaring himself born on July 4, 1900, a date recorded in many jazz histories and still regarded as his birthday. But after his death, his biographer found his birth certificate, which stated that his birthday was August 4, 1901.
Perhaps he himself may not have known what his true date of birth was.
As for why he chose to say that his birthday was July 4, 1900, some say that it is because 1900 sounds more interesting than 1901, and some say that he chose July 4 because American Independence Day is July 4.
When I was a child, I sold and sang on the street
Armstrong was born in one of New Orleans' poorest and most backward black neighborhoods, and his childhood was unhappy, even hard. His parents divorced when he was very young, his father left him behind, and he lived with his mother.
Forced to make ends meet, Armstrong Jr. worked many odd jobs— he delivered coal, milk, and sold singing on the streets. Poor family conditions and black status allowed him to experience discrimination and injustice from society prematurely.
Uncle Bag Mouth nicknamed "Satchmo"
Armstrong has a nickname called "Satchmo". "Satchmo" is an abbreviation for "Satchmouth," and there are many versions of the origin of the nickname, with the most popular story being the story of Little Armstrong waiting to be sung on New Orleans Street.
In order to prevent the older children from stealing the coins, he shoved the coins into his mouth. Someone nicknamed him "School Bag Mouth" because his mouth was so big that it could fit like a school bag.
But Armstrong himself didn't reject the nickname; on the contrary, he liked it. He engraved "Satchmo" on some of his instruments, and later even used the nickname as a self-designation to write an autobiography.
The first blow was in the juvenile detention center
On New Year's Eve 1913, to celebrate the arrival of the new year, Little Armstrong took his stepfather's pistol and fired several shots into the sky, only to be sent by the police to the juvenile detention center "Home of Colored Wanderers" on the grounds of "illegal possession of firearms". At that time, Little Armstrong was almost 13 years old.
Fortunately, things were not entirely bad because of the "blessings and misfortunes"—it was in the juvenile detention center that he had the opportunity to touch the blone and learn how to play it. After a long period of practice and performance, he gradually realized that "what I have to do in my life is to play the trumpet."
There was a single that beat the Beatles
In 1964, Armstrong topped the Billboard Hot 100 with a song called "Hello Dolly!", beating the Beatles, who had been at the top of the chart for 14 consecutive weeks.
At the age of 63, Armstrong became the oldest musician on the British Pop Chart for his song.
On July 6, 1971, Armstrong died of a myocardial infarction at the age of 70. The year after his death, he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Academy of Record Arts and Sciences.
His masterpiece, What A Wonderful World, still makes it onto the charts many years after his death.
A hundred years ago, Louis Armstrong incorporated his amazing trumpet playing technique into the innovative development of jazz music and propelled the United States of the 1920s into a jazz age of freedom and creativity.