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Louis passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of July 6th, 1971, just two days after he had celebrated his 71st birthday (see also the question… Read more

While Louis enjoyed many different kinds of foods and dishes, he seemed to be especially fond of red beans & rice. Sometimes he even signed his letters “Red Beans &… Read more

Louis himself believed that he was born on July 4th, 1900 and that date is still found in many jazz histories and reference books. In the mid-1980s, Armstrong expert Tad… Read more

Yes. Louis first learned to read music in the Waif’s Home at about age twelve. When he joined the Fate Marable Band as a teenager, he greatly improved his reading…. Read more

Louis was married four times but his marriages never produced any children. Louis loved children! The neighbors still recall that when Louis returned from a trip, children would gather around… Read more

Judging from home recorded tapes now in our Museum Collections, Louis pronounced his own name as “Lewis.” On his 1964 record “Hello, Dolly,” he sings, “This is Lewis, Dolly” but… Read more

Louis had many nicknames as a child, all of which referred to the size of his mouth: “Gatemouth,” “Dippermouth,” and “Satchelmouth.” During a visit to Great Britain, Louis was met… Read more