Louis Armstrong Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He became one of the most influential figures in American music during the 20th century, particularly known for his work as a jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader.

Raised in a poor neighborhood known as "The Battlefield," Armstrong was sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys after a juvenile offense, where he learned to play the cornet. In the early 1920s, Armstrong joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in Chicago. He made his first recordings in 1923. He later joined Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra in New York City. In 1925, Armstrong began recording under his own name with the Hot Five and Hot Seven groups, producing influential tracks such as “West End Blues,” “Heebie Jeebies,” and “Potato Head Blues.”

Armstrong helped popularize scat singing and brought a distinctive vocal and instrumental style that shifted jazz from ensemble-based to solo-focused improvisation. His career spanned decades and included hits such as “What a Wonderful World,” “Hello, Dolly!,” “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and “Mack the Knife.” His version of “Hello, Dolly!” in 1964 made him the oldest artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart at age 62, surpassing the Beatles.

In addition to recording and touring internationally, Armstrong appeared in over a dozen films, including High Society (1956) and Hello, Dolly! (1969). He was known by the nicknames “Satchmo,” “Pops,” and “Ambassador Satch.”