<P> Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901--July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo, Satch, and Pops, was an American trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor who was one of the most influential figures in jazz . His career spanned five decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s, and different eras in the history of jazz . In 2017, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame . </P> <P> Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans . Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an "inventive" trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance . Around 1922, he followed his mentor, Joe "King" Oliver, to Chicago to play in the Creole Jazz Band . In the Windy City, he networked with other jazz musicians, reconnecting with his friend, Bix Biederbecke, and made new contacts, which included Hoagy Carmichael and Lil Hardin . He earned a reputation at "cutting contests", and moved to New York in order to join Fletcher Henderson's band . </P> <P> With his instantly recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes . He was also very skilled at scat singing . Armstrong is renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet playing . Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general . Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African - American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin color was secondary to his music in an America that was extremely racially divided at the time . He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African Americans, but took a well - publicized stand for desegregation in the Little Rock crisis . His artistry and personality allowed him access to the upper echelons of American society, then highly restricted for black men . </P> <P> Armstrong often stated that he was born on July 4, 1900 . Although he died in 1971, it was not until the mid-1980s that his true birth date, August 4, 1901, was discovered by the researcher Tad Jones through the examination of baptismal records . At least three other biographies treat the July 4th birth date as a myth . </P>

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