"He is the father of us all, regardless of style or how modern we get." Jazz Trumpeter Nicholas Payton

Trumpeter and vocalist Louis Armstrong, known as "Satchmo," is generally regarded as the man who transformed jazz from a folk music tradition into a sophisticated musical form focused upon solo improvisation. A supremely talented instrumentalist and a major innovator in the 1920s, he went on to enjoy a long career as an ambassador for jazz music and a much-loved celebrity.

Streets of New Orleans

Armstrong grew up in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz. The illegitimate son of a boiler stoker and a laundress, he was brought up in poverty. From the age of five he lived with his mother in the city's red-light district, where she sometimes worked as a prostitute. It was from listening to bands in this notorious area that Armstrong received his first musical education. At the age of 12, he was sent to a Colored Waifs' Home after firing a pistol loaded with blanks in the street. In this institution, run on quasi-military lines, he was formally taught to play the cornet. After his release, he spent four years doing backbreaking work delivering coal before opportunities opened up for him to become a professional musician.

Establish a Reputation

Armstrong's popularity owed as much to the sunny warmth of his personality as to the quality of his musicianship. He moved effortlessly between the roles of jazz trumpeter and mass-market entertainer.

A wonderful legacy