Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong was a strong proponent of primarily jazz music – he played a “mean” cornet! Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and deep, instantly recognizable voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong’s influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general.
When asked about his religion, Armstrong would answer that he was raised a Baptist, always wore a Star of David, and was friends with the Pope. Armstrong wore the Star of David in honor of the Karnofsky family, who took him in as a child and lent him the money to buy his first cornet. Louis Armstrong was, in fact, baptized as a Catholic at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in New Orleans, and he met popes Pius XII and Paul VI, though there is no evidence that he considered himself Catholic.
Worldwide, this song is probably the most remembered (and beloved) of his music, and is played at many weddings. It was recorded at a concert in Africa in 1960, with he as an “ambassador” of the State Department. It carries a great message that we need to embellish today!
Satchmo was born 109 years ago in August (1901) and died July 6, 1971.
