Louis Armstrong, born in 1901, was a New Orleans native and trumpet player, vocalist, and bandleader. Growing up, Armstrong was very poor and faced many challenges. He was arrested at a young age and was sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys. On the bright side, he learned how to play the cornet at this institution, and therefore, had the course of his life changed forever! After being heard around town, the greatest cornet player around, Joe “King” Oliver, began mentoring young Armstrong. His unique voice and fiery trumpet playing put Armstrong on the jazz and popular music scene in the 1920’s and beyond. After playing in Kid Ory’s band, Armstrong was finally able to stop working manual labor jobs and support himself through musical work. He later played with Fletcher Henderson, Bessie Smith, Sidney Betchet and more jazz legends. His most influential mark on the jazz genre was made because of the creation of his very own band, Louis Armstrong and The Hot Five. They made over 60 records and some of the most iconic recordings. He popularized the art of a more soloistic approach to the jazz genre, as well as the art of scat-singing. By the end of his career, Louis Armstrong sold more than 3.8 million records.