First published 2009
Terry Teachout presents the life of Louis Armstrong, the towering jazz musician who rose from poverty in New Orleans to become a global celebrity. Teachout draws on previously unavailable sources, particularly hundreds of private recordings Armstrong made throughout his later years. These candid backstage conversations reveal Armstrong's own account of his rise to stardom in his unvarnished voice. The biography covers his 1930 marijuana arrest, dangerous encounters with Chicago gangsters, his Broadway and Hollywood breakthroughs, and his complex romantic relationships. Teachout also explores Armstrong's decision to dissolve his big band and his public disagreement with President Eisenhower. Beyond the personal drama, the book explains Armstrong's revolutionary impact on American music and his enduring appeal as an entertainer who could outsell the Beatles decades after his early recordings. Readers discover the man behind classics like "West End Blues" and "Hello, Dolly!" through Armstrong's own words and Teachout's comprehensive research.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, african-american, music, jazz
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: rags-to-riches, rise-to-stardom
Setting: Chicago, New Orleans
Period: 1930s, 20th-century
475 pages · Hardcover · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Content warnings: drug-use