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African American trumpeter and vocalist who changed the formula of jazz permanently with his famous raspy voice and incredible trumpeting skills.

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Born in 1901, Armstrong grew up in a very dangerous neighborhood in New Orleans. His home neighborhood was so dangerous it was nicknamed "The Battleground." Because his father wasn't around and his mother didn't have the time to take care of his, Armstrong spent most of his youth under the care of his grandmother and Uncle.

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Armstrong was sent to a Colored Waifs Home as a delinquent in 1913, where he began to pick up the cornet (very similar to a trumpet). He developed his skills while playing in the Home's Band and slowly developed a deep passion for music. As he honed his skills he started to play in marching and jazz bands, gradually gaining popularity.

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Armstrong's early career began in Chicago when he received an invitation to play in Oliver's Jazz Band, the leading band in 1922. He played second cornet, and gained his early fame with his "breaks," which were essentially solos in the middle of a song. Armstrong later married Lil Hardin, the pianist of the band.

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After quitting his band in Chicago, Armstrong moved to New York to further his fame, but after a few years in between bands he moved back to Chicago and worked on his solo career. By the time he created the Armstrong Hot Five and Hot Seven (recording sessions that resulted in immense popularity) recordings he had established himself as a prominent jazz soloist. It was at this point that he realized the New Orleans ensemble style was only holding him back, almost abandoning the style entirely in his newer works. It was at this point that Armstrong had began to play with the trumpet instead.

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While playing jazz on a steamboat around 1921, he was overcome with a prolonged cold, giving him his gravelly and raspy voice. About 10 years later he underwent surgery on his vocal chords in an attempt to reverse and fix his voice. The surgery ended up having the opposite effect, giving him the voice we all know him for today.

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Released in 1936, Armstrong's cover of "When The Saints Go Marching In" sends a message of hope to African American slaves who still long for the freedom from their suffering.

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Louis Armstrong All Stars -  When The Saints Go Marching In

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During the Harlem Renaissance, Louis Armstrong found a foothold with his trumpet and his voice. Breaking color barriers he played for, and was enjoyed by, white and black people alike. Armstrong was widely known for his talent with the trumpet, giving him the well-deserved title of "the world's greatest trumpet player." His outstanding performances shaped Jazz into what it is known as today.

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After his short time in New York, Armstrong travelled across America and Europe starting in 1935. He left behind the traditional blues and began his own style of melodic variations and wide trumpet range. His talent with an instrument combined with his gravelly, beautiful voice harmoniously, and was enjoyed by fans all around the country and the next.

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Released later in his life in 1967, What a Wonderful World remains to be one of, if not the most popular and well known song from Louis Armstrong. The song is about appreciating and enjoying your surroundings.

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Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World (Original Spoken Intro Version) ABC Records 1967, 1970

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Armstrong's career wasn't limited to just music. After his first notable theatrical appearance in "Pennies From Heaven" in 1936. This performance made him the first African American to be featured in a major Hollywood film. He also appeared in the 1956 musical "High Society," his most familiar performance. Throughout his career he appeared in over a dozen films as either a bandleader or musician. Armstrong was even the first African American to host a national radio broadcast during the summer of 1937 when he hosted "The Fleischman's Yeast Hour."

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Louis Armstrong was able to live a long, and fulfilling life. He passed away at the age of 71 of a heart attack in his home in Queens, New York. The year was only 1971, but his influence on jazz and music as a whole can still be heard to this day.

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Being such a notable and prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance, it should come as no surprise that Armstrong's work had long-lasting affects on other artists during this era. One specific example is Langston Hughes. Hughes was deeply touched by Armstrong and his music, and regarded him as the most recognized and renowned musicians of the era. As a result Hughes wrote many books commemorating Jazz and placing Armstrong at the center of it.