Louis Armstrong
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When it comes to influential musician in this centaury one name stands above the rest.
Louis Armstrong who blasted the music of the world tradition of classic, Orchestra and
Mumdome tin an alley into the exciting era of hot Jazz and swing.
Louis Daniel Armstrong was born in the Storyville District of New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 4, 1901, he always celebrated his birth as July 4, 1900 because that is what he was told and believed. His real date of birth was not known until after his death July 6, 1971. He grew up deprived both physically and emotionally to an exceptional degree, and the experience left him scarred with a deep-seated, lifelong sense of insecurity. His father Willie, a laborer, left the family soon after he was born, his mother, a domestic servant and part time prostitute called Maryanne, left Louis and his sister Beatrice, also called 'Mama Lucy', in the care of his grandma most of the time, however he always believed the love of his family helped him make it through those rough times.
His childhood combined being free to run the streets with obligations towards his family, who needed him to earn money. His formal education was severely restricted but he was a bright child and swiftly accumulated the kind of wisdom needed for survival; long before the term existed, Louis Armstrong was 'streetwise'. From the first he learned how to hustle for money and it was a lesson he never forgot. Even late in life, when he was rich and famous, he would still regard his career as a 'hustle'...