Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our previous post discussed the inspiration behind Louis Armstrong’s composition, “Someday You’ll Be Sorry,” and the similarities between that song and “Goodnight Angel,” a 1938 pop tune eventually recorded by Armstrong for the 1957 Decca album Louis and the Angels. This led to a discussion of that supremely beautiful, yet somewhat undervalued LP on Facebook–here’sContinue reading ““My Life’s an Open Book”: Al “Jazzbo” Collins Interviews Louis Armstrong, April 1957″

In our previous post, we covered the marriage of Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith, which occurred in Houston on October 11, 1938. In 1940, Louis and Alpha moved from the Hotel Olga to the Hotel Currie at 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem and things appeared to be happy, at least from the outside.Continue reading ““Someday You’ll Be Sorry”: The End of Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith’s Marriage”

When we last left off, Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith abruptly left Europe in January 1935 and headed back to the United States, where they laid low in Chicago as Louis was unable to play trumpet and didn’t want to go back to work for disgraced manager Johnny Collins. On February 14, Chicago welcomed LouisContinue reading ““My Little Hatchetmouth Wife”: The Marriage of Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith”

Our previous post shared dozens of snapshots Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith took at home and abroad between July 1932 and May 1933. The earliest photos were taken during Louis’s first trip to England, where he was impressed at the way the locals treated him and especially Alpha. Here’s a couple of photos we didn’tContinue reading ““The King of Jazz and His Sweet Little Wife”: Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith in Europe 1932-1934″

In our previous post, we shared the entire contents of a scrapbook compiled by young Alpha Smith between 1926 and 1931, the years she was courting Louis Armstrong–while Louis was still married to his second wife, Lillian Hardin Armstrong. Though these aren’t dated, these two snapshots seem to be from Louis and Alpha’s early years,Continue reading ““We Love Each Other”: Louis Armstrong and Alpha Smith’s 1932-1933 Snapshots”

In our previous post, we shared Louis Armstrong’s 1954 Ebony cover story, “Why I Like Dark Women,” in which Armstrong offered his reflections on all four of his wives. He spent the least amount of time on wife number three, Alpha Smith, and we alluded to the reasons behind Armstrong’s bizarre claim that Alpha wasContinue reading ““Louie (My Darling) ZING”–Inside Alpha Smith’s 1926-1931 Scrapbook”

As we have stated numerous times on this website, there would not be a Louis Armstrong House Museum without the efforts of Louis’s longtime wife, Lucille Wilson. We have profiled Lucille’s life in this post and shared some rare interviews with her on the occasion of her 100th birthday celebration earlier this year. It shouldContinue reading ““Marriage is Really a Business”: 70th Anniversary of Louis Armstrong’s “Why I Like Dark Women””

Dan Morgenstern, the dean of all jazz historians and advocates, passed away on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at the age of 94. You can learn more about Dan’s incredible life and numerous accomplishments in his New York Times obituary and you can hear a bit of Dan in action on NPR’s tribute. For our purposes,Continue reading ““Special–From First to Last”: In Loving Memory of Dan Morgenstern”

Today marks the first day of Fan Week at the U. S. Open, heralding the beginning of one of the most exciting times to be a tennis fan in New York City. Beginning this week and continuing through the actual U. S. Open, which will be taking place between August 26 and September 8, thousandsContinue reading “The Story Behind the Naming of Louis Armstrong Stadium”

Our previous post covered Louis Armstrong’s appearance at the “Friendly Fifty” picnic on August 16, 1970, a time when Armstrong was feeling especially good ; the previous day, Armstrong began writing a letter to Max Jones in England in which he announced that he had been given the clearance by his doctor to once againContinue reading ““The Greatest Photo Taker”: Remembering Jack Bradley Part 55–Final Visit June 1971″