He got his start in music as a teenager, playing the cornet in various street bands and honing his skills in local clubs and dance halls. In the 1920s, he joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band and began recording under his own name, quickly becoming one of the most popular and influential jazz musicians of all time. Armstrong’s innovative playing style, including his virtuosic solos and innovative use of scat singing, helped to define the sound of jazz during its formative years. He continued to record and perform until his death on July 6, 1971 at the age of 69.
Celebrate Louis Armstrong’s Birthday at the Satchmo Summerfest
Our two-day celebration is one of the only festivals in the world dedicated to honoring Louis Armstrong and features 2 stages of music, a delicious culinary lineup featuring Louisiana restaurants, and an incredible indoor lecture series poised to educate guests on Armstrong’s history and enduring impact.
Satchmo SummerFest is scheduled annually to coincide with Louis Armstrong’s birthday on August 4th; the first festival took place on what would have been his 100th birthday, the same year the New Orleans airport was renamed Louis Armstrong International Airport. The artist often stated in public interviews that he was born on July 4, 1900 (Independence Day), a date that has been noted in many biographies. Armstrong died in 1971 and his true birthdate, August 4, 1901, was not discovered until the mid-1980s.
Louis Armstrong was raised in a poor section of New Orleans known as “Jane Alley.” Throughout his career, he entertained millions – from heads of state and royalty to the neighborhood kids on his stoop in Corona, New York. Despite his fame, he lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood. The man known around the world as “Satchmo,” short for Satchelmouth, was widely recognized as a founding father of jazz – a unique American art form. In 1932, Melody Maker magazine editor Percy Brooks greeted Armstrong in London with “Hello, Satchmo!” and the nickname stuck. His influence as an artist and cultural icon is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.
Louis Armstrong shares a birthday with these jazz musicians:
- Alvaro Rojas
- Arik Shahar
- Asle Fjeldstad
- Bill Coleman
- Bobo Stenson
- Claudio Celso
- Dan Wilensky
- Dave DeMotta
- Donald Devienne
- Duncan Fraser
- Emilio Foglio
- Eric Alexander
- Eriko Ninomiya
- Frank Lamphere
- Gabriel Rosati
- Gary Porter
- Geordie Kelly
- Glenn ” Big Lou” Tocci
- Herb Ellis
- Javier Artiles
- Jeff Hamilton
- Katie Eagleson
- LILLY
- Martin Urbach
- Michael Attias
- Mikah Feldman-Stein
- Paul Pax Andrews
- Peter Fraize
- Rick Keller
- Salvatore Bonafede
- Sonny Simmons
- Terri Lyne Carrington
- Thomas Motter
- Wendell Brenner