Louis Armstrong, who was affectionately called “Satchmo” by his friends, never boasted that he invented jazz, or for that matter that he was even one of its better players. But anyone who has heard his inimitable style must agree that Louis Daniel  “Satchmo” Armstrong was perhaps the best there has ever been. The worldwide popularity of jazz can be directly attributed to his infectious style of performance and the unselfishness that characterized his persona.

Armstrong worked at various unskilled jobs as a youth. He sold coal and had a youthful propensity for mischief. On a dare from a friend, he fired a pistol on South Rampart Street, for which he received an 18 month sentence at the Colored Waif’s home, where he eventually came under the musical influence of “Captain” Peter Davis. Sensing that Armstrong possessed a burning desire to learn music, Davis provided basic musical training on the cornet to young Louis. With that kind gesture, the history of popular music was undoubtedly re-written.

By 1922, young Satchmo was ready to join his idol’s band, Joe “King” Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. By the time of his arrival in the Windy City, he had become an accomplished musician. Part of the influence that Armstrong brought to Chicago was an incredible street training in the back alleys and clubs of the Big Easy’s Storyville.

By the early ‘30s, Armstrong’s popularity had reached such epic proportions that he and his band toured Europe, a major milestone for any performer, especially a young black musician. As the years passed, Armstrong’s persona and star appeal continued to grow. Satchmo’s popularity never waned during his entire life. He played for presidents, European royalty, and the kings and queens of his beloved Africa. He frequently toured internationally as a special envoy for the U.S. State Department, representing his country and New Orleans with human quality, dignity, charm, and excellence. At every stop he made in over a half century of performing, he always promoted his love for New Orleans and an avowed passion for red beans and rice. But of all the accolades, he counted his greatest as being selected Zulu King of Mardi Gras 1946.

In an August 1991 commemorative article on Armstrong’s career, The New York Times stated, “The power of his genius, combined with his living manner, forced whites to rethink their racism, whether they knew it or not.” Louis Armstrong: a giant who helped shape New Orleans and America.