August 4, 1901, the world welcomed one of the music greats, Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a district so impoverished that they dubbed it “The Battlefield.” His father was a factory worker and deserted the family shortly after Louis’s birth. His mother, who often turned to prostitution, and often left him with his maternal grandmother. Armstrong left school in the fifth grade to work.

Armstrong was a singer, bandleader and trumpeter who had many hits including the 1964 US No.1 ‘Hello Dolly!’, 1968 UK No.1 ‘What A Wonderful World’ plus ‘When The Saints Go Marching In’, ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’, and ‘We Have All the Time in the World.’

Nicknamed “Satchmo,” “Pops” and, later, “Ambassador Satch,” he was a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. An all-star virtuoso, he came to fame in the 1920s, influencing countless musicians with both his daring trumpet style and unique vocals.

The influence of Armstrong on the development of jazz is nearly boundless. His buoyant personality both as a performer and as a public figure was so powerful that to some it sometimes eclipsed his contributions as a musician and vocalist.

As a virtuoso trumpet player, Armstrong had a particular tone and a remarkable gift for melodic improvisation.

Through his performing, the trumpet emerged as a solo instrument in jazz. Jazz was transformed from a collectively improvised folk music to a performer’s serious art form. He was an excellent accompanist and ensemble player besides his extraordinary skills as a soloist. With his innovations, he lifted the bar musically for all who came after him. Armstrong’s charismatic stage presence impressed not simply the jazz world but all of popular music.

Armstrong died of a heart attack in his sleep on July 6, 1971, a month before his 70th birthday.

The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded Armstrong the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972.