Satchmo

Jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong, pictured above in 1953, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4, 1901. The grandson of slaves, he grew up in poverty in the rough neighborhoods of New Orleans. Despite his surroundings, the love of music eventually led him to a career that would see him described by some as the greatest musician ever. On July 6, 1971, Louis Armstrong died of a heart attack at the age of 69.