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Essay / Biography of Louis Armstrong - 1420
Success is a path full of mysterious wonders. Many strive for achievement, while others wait for success to find them. Louis Armstrong's life was similar to this. Armstrong strove and strove until he reached a point in his life where he felt comfortable with his fourth wife, Lucille Wilson. Armstrong is ultimately known as the creator of jazz and blues. He earned this title by using his talents as a young boy growing up in a rough neighborhood. Armstrong's talent was a result of his childhood and young adult life. Growing up, Armstrong was exposed to music in his environment. Armstrong obtained this fantastic talent, thus leading him to establish it in a caring environment; creating his success and fame.Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana (Burns). Armstrong grew up in the Storyville neighborhood, a tough neighborhood also known as “Battlefield.” Battlefield had a reputation for prostitution and drugs. Armstrong's mother was a divorced single mother who had two children. This gave rise to Armstrong's desire to help his mother in her time of need. Which led him to drop out of fifth grade to sing on street corners for pennies, sell newspapers to locals, and deliver coal to customers (“Louis Armstrong”). “The first success was followed by others. In the dark or in the moonlight the boys go and sing for pennies…” (Eaton 35). Armstrong grew up with the impression that "colored people...could only afford the cheapest housing...No plans existed to provide decent housing for the family or playgrounds...Louis and his friends had to play in crowded courtyards or dirty streets… without realizing what was happening. injustice; they spent joyful times at their games” (15). From...... middle of paper ......ive on. Ultimately, as a society, we can testify that Louis Armstrong was not only known for being the creator of jazz, but also for being the individual who installed rhythm into our daily lives. Louis Armstrong is known variously as the father of jazz. Growing up, he used his talents to help his family, but he also worked as a manual laborer for companies. Armstrong earned money by singing on street corners, selling coal, and selling newspapers to neighborhood residents. Throughout his era, Armstrong was surrounded by rhythms that could turn a person away and beats that made a person's heart pump straight out of your chest. Armstrong's knowledge established him in a professional career in the music industry until his death on July 6, 1971. Overall, we can conclude that Armstrong's talent pulled him from a dream and brought him into his own magnificent reality..