Three ways trumpet legend Louis Armstrong changed the face of music forever

Dan Mason
Dan Mason
Aug 28, 2017 · 1 min read

Louis Armstrong was the trumpeter who invented modern jazz when he took a solo with the Sy Oliver Band in New York 1923. But that was only the start of his amazing story.

1. Armstrong was arrested aged 14 for firing a gun at a New Year’s Eve celebration, and was sent to a correction home for a year. It was there that he first played the trumpet.

2. Louis adopted a mentally-disabled child named Clarence. The child’s mother was Armstrong’s cousin, who died in childbirth.

3. In 1964, Armstrong recorded his biggest-selling record, Hello, Dolly! The song went to the top of the charts, making Armstrong, age 63, the oldest person to ever accomplish a Number 1 hit.

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Dan Mason
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