The great Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in the city of New Orleans. Armstrong was born into a very poor family, his grandparents were slaves and his mother was a prostitute. He had to work when he was 10 years old to contribute to the family's income. He sold newspapers, delivered coal and even sang in a quartet to earn some money. He began learning to play the crown after being arrested for shooting his stepfather's gun and placed in military school. Peter Davis was the one who gave him lessons while in the confines of the military school. Soon after Armstrong received a lesson on the crown, he was appointed bandleader of the school where he led the band for approximately 18 months before being released into the custody of his father. But his father couldn't afford to keep Louis in the house, so Louis had to move back in with his mother. There he continued selling newspapers and delivering coal until he was offered a job at the local tavern. Now he was paid to become a professional musician and perform every night in front of pimps and prostitutes. That work truly launched Armstrong's career and put him on the path to becoming the greatest jazz musician of all time. While performing in the New Orleans area, Armstrong was recognized by some of the greatest jazz musicians. The most important musician he noticed was Joe “King” Oliver. Oliver would serve as a father figure to Louis and really help him get his career on the right path. In 1919, Oliver resigned his position in Kid Ory's band and let Armstrong take his place. Armstrong also played in the band Fate Marble, which played on a steamboat along the Mississippi River. Armstrong compared that experience to a normal k...... middle of paper ......eagarden and created several new hits. They called themselves “All-Stars”. The All-stars included names like Earl Hines and Barney Bigard. In 1963, Louis became the oldest person to have a song at number 1. The song "Hello Dolly" unseated the Beatles at number 1 and remained there for 14 weeks. On July 6, 1971, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack. He was 69 years old and is recognized as the best jazz musician ever. He is buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, New York. Louis is still known today as one of the most influential people in jazz culture and will be remembered for the way he could play the trumpet. The great legacy of “Satchmo” is a positive one for all those who talk about Armstrong. No one will ever be able to play the trumpet like Louis and that is why he will always be known as the number one figure in the history of jazz.