The incident obviously caused a lot of
controversy across the world. The sentence, six months in prison, was suspended
after only three days. Mainly due to Armstrong’s addiction to marijuana, Lil
separated from him and they no longer worked together (Boujut 33). In 1932 the
Hot Five split up. Armstrong remained in California and starred in Rhapsody in
Black and Blue and You Rascal You. Later that year, he sailed to England where
he played for the King (Crouch 171). An experience that ranked as “one of the
best times of my life,” he stated (Bergreen 107). Something interesting happened
to Armstrong in 1933. In London’s Daily Express the death of the “trumpet player
with lips of steel,” was reported (Boujut 36). Five days later Melody Maker
issued a correction but the news had already spread around the globe. In April
of 1934 Armstrong began touring Europe. He visited various countries including
France, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands where he was welcomed with
open arms. The tour was scheduled to carry on to North Africa and Egypt, but the
state of Armstrong’s’ lips forced him to cancel his remaining shows and not play
for over eight months (Brown 154). In 1935 Armstrong formed a commercial style
big band with fifteen other musicians (Brown 76). For the next twelve years he
starred in various films and played with his new band. It was in 1947 that he
abandoned the big band and returned to small band format. He joined the
All-Star’s, made up of Jack Teagarden, George Wettling, Big Sid Catlett, Dick
Cary, Peanuts Hucko, Bob Hagart. That turned out to be the group he worked with
until his death. In the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, Louis Armstrong was
called an “Uncle Tom” by blacks, referring to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle
Tom’s Cabin. African-Americans blamed Armstrong for not using his fame to speak
out against the unjust treatment of his race in the United States (Brown 92).
They also said he was holding his race back because he didn’t demand respect
from whites and he smiled too much when he was in public (Crouch 171). In
Armstrong’s opinion he didn’t understand what he was doing wrong. He had ignored
prejudice because he had been taught to respect people unless they had
personally disrespected him (Brown 92). It was in 1955 that Louis Armstrong was
made America’s musical ambassador. He traveled throughout the world on the
United States behalf and even made an album titled, Ambassador Satch. All over
the world he was respected and welcomed to perform nearly anywhere he chose.
Hello Dolly, Armstrong’s most well known song was recorded in 1964. It hit
number one on the Billboard charts on April 8th. It was accompanied by one of
movies he starred in which shared the same title. For the next seven years of
his life he was in and out of the hospital due to heart and kidney problems. On
July 6th, 1971, Louis Armstrong died of a lung infection and heart
complications. His last wish, that his trumpet be buried with him, was granted.
Louis Armstrong influenced almost all aspects of jazz technique and style. He
was the first to improvise and elaborate on a given melody. This technique has
since been attempted and copied time and time again. Armstrong introduced a
freedom to music that continues to impact popular music (Sadie 601). Without
this American genius music would not be what it is today.
Bibliography
Bergreen, Lawrence. Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life. New York: Broadway,
1997. Boujut, Michel. Louis Armstrong. New York: Rizzoli, 1998. Brown, Sandford.
Louis Armstrong. New York: Watts, 1993. Collier, James Lincoln. Louis Armstrong:
An American Genius. New York: Oxford, 1983. Crouch, Stanley. “Louis Armstrong.”
Time 8 Aug. 1998: 170. Sadie, Stanley. ed. “Louis Armstrong.” The New Grove
Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 6th ed. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan, 1995.
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