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Family
GRANDMOTHER: Lucy. Raised Armstrong and his sister.
FATHER: Willie Armstrong. Laborer. Abandoned family shortly after Louis' birth.
MOTHER: Mary Ann Albert. Domestic, prostitute. Was 15 when she gave birth to Louis; left Armstrong and his sister in her mother's care.
SISTER: Beatrice Armstrong Collins. Survived him.
HALF-BROTHER: Henry Armstrong. Survived him.
HALF-BROTHER: William Armstrong. Survived him.
SON: Clarence Hatfield. Adopted; survived him.
Companion
WIFE: Daisy Parker. Prostitute. Married c. 1919; divorced c. 1924.
WIFE: Lilian Hardin. Pianist. Met when both performed with the Creole Jazz Band; married in 1924; separated c. 1927; divorced in 1938.
WIFE: Alpha Smith. Met c. 1926; had relationship for 12 years before marrying in 1938; divorced in 1942.
WIFE: Lucille Wilson. Dancer. Married from 1942 until his death.
Milestone
Born in the Storyville section of New Orleans, Louisiana
1913: Arrested on New Year's Eve after discharging a pistol in the air
Sent to live at the Colored Waif's Home for Boys ; received first exposure to musical training
1917: Played in various bands in Storyville
1919: Joined Fate Marable's band in St. Louis, Missouri
1922: Invited to join Joe Oliver's Creole Jazz Band; played second coronet
1924: At wife's urging, left Oliver and moved to NYC
1924 - 1925: Spent a year playing with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra
Began playing on recording sessions for blues singers like Bessie Smith
1925: Moved to Chicago and joined wife Lillian Hardin's musical group; performed at the Dreamland
1925: Made first recordings for Okeh Records with the Hot Five and the Hot Seven bands
1928: Headed back to NYC
1929: Played in the pit orchestra for the all-Black revue "Hot Chocolates"
1929: Made popular recording of Fats Waller's song "Ain't Misbehavin'"
1930: Relocated to L.A.; fronted the Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra
Began playing trumpet in the 1930s
Toured extensively throughout the USA and Europe
1936: Appeared in the movie musical "Pennies From Heaven"
Bibliography
"Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life" Laurence Bergreen 1997
"Satchmo: The Genius of Louis Armstrong" Gary Giddins 2001
Although he celebrated his birthday on July 4, Gary Giddins in his biography "Satchmo" claims that Armstrong's birth certificate lists his date of birth as August 4, 1901.
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