Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1901. A direct descendent of former slaves, he lived in poverty. Much of his early exposure to jazz music was at the brothels and clubs where he performed odd jobs to support his family.  He earned money by hauling coal, scavenging for and selling discarded items, and singing on the streets.
 

Armstrong did not have a stable upbringing and was frequently moved between the homes of various family members. On several occasions he was placed in a boarding house called the Home for Colored Waifs, where he played trumpet in a jazz band made up of other troubled youth. Through this experience he made connections with a few of the many brass bands that were popular at the time, and he earned jobs playing around the city of New Orleans and on a boat that toured up and down the Mississippi River.
 

Armstrong was known for his compassion. Upon observing that Jews suffered the same discrimination as blacks in America, he wore a star of David pendant as a show of solidarity. He adopted his mentally disabled second cousin and spent the rest of his life raising the boy.

Armstrong's Road to Success
 

In his twenties, Armstrong moved to Chicago where he became known for his spectacular trumpet “chops” and his distinctive, gravelly voice. Here he married Lil Hardin Armstrong, a pianist with whom he collaborated on many projects. She encouraged him to study classical music in addition to jazz in order to be a well-rounded musician.

In his thirties, Armstrong moved to New York where he became a prominent figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He was a pioneer of swing music, collaborating with such notable figures as Coleman Hawkins, Fletcher Henderson, and Duke Ellington.
 

Armstrong’s 1926 recording of Heebie Jeebies is credited as the first recording to feature vocal improvisation, known as scat singing. Known equally for his trumpet playing and vocal stylings, he frequently alternated between the two in the same song.

Armstrong won a Grammy award for his recording of “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His song “What a Wonderful World” remains popular more than four decades after its release.