Louis Armstrong's Birthday
Next: August 4, 2027
Put on a record and smile.
The story
Where it comes from
Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans on 4 August 1901, according to his baptismal record, and this Story marks that birthday. He himself always gave 4 July 1900, the date his mother kept, and the baptismal certificate only came to light in the 1980s. He grew up poor and became one of jazz music's first solo superstars as a young trumpeter in the 1920s. His inventive solos turned jazz into an art of individual improvisation, and his warm, gravelly singing made him one of the best-loved entertainers of the century.
How it's celebrated
The Louis Armstrong House Museum, in his former home in Queens, New York, usually celebrates him twice, on 4 July and on 4 August. Anyone can join in with a record: his trumpet solos from the 1920s, his duets with Ella Fitzgerald or 'What a Wonderful World'. It is also a fine day to hear a live jazz band, or to play something joyful for someone else.
Did you know
- In May 1964 his 'Hello, Dolly' reached number one in the United States, ending the Beatles' 14-week run at the top. 'It's awful nice to be there among all them Beatles,' he said.
- He recorded 'Hello, Dolly' as the title song of a musical that had not yet opened.
- In April 1968, at 66, he became the oldest artist then to top the British singles chart, with 'What a Wonderful World'.
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