Louis Armstrong: The Boy From Back O’ Town’s Birthday
Louis Armstrong’s birthday has been the source of much confusion over the years.
What is Louis Armstrong’s birthday? For most (if not all) of Louis Armstrong’s life, the jazz trumpeter claimed to have been born on July 4, 1900.
It was almost two decades after Armstrong passed away that a different truth about his birth was discovered. Someone looking at the baptismal records of a Catholic church in New Orleans found that Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901, the son of “a handsome” nineteen-year-old William (Willie) Armstrong and Mary Ann Albert, who was known as May Ann. Willie worked in a chemical factory. May Ann was a fifteen-year-old who worked as a domestic servant, having moved to the city from the nearby countryside to find work.
Did Louis Armstrong know his true birthday? It seems unlikely, but why did he then pick July 4, 1900, apart from the obvious patriotic connection and the fact that 1900 sounds a whole lot more interesting than 1901? Or was that enough?
Today when you search the internet, you will find both days given as his birthday. For a long time, Wikipedia carried the July 4, 1900 date. Whatever the correct date, we do know that young Louis grew up at 723 Jane Alley, a stones throw from the French Quarter of New Orleans, an area that was central to the birth of jazz, a vibrant, buzzing area that was so instrumental in shaping his life and career.
Listen to Louis Armstrong: The Decca Singles 1949-1958 on Apple Music and Spotify.
Michael Waters
August 4, 2014 at 2:17 pm
There is no apostrophe in Queens, New York.
Mo
August 4, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Nor is 1900 the opening year of the twentieth century; it was the last year of the nineteenth century.
uDiscover
August 5, 2014 at 11:58 am
Sorry, Mo, you are wrong there. The 1900s are the 20th century
Lauren
October 28, 2014 at 6:04 am
Actually, Mo is right. The counting didn’t start in year 0, it started in year 1. Therefore, the first century was 1-100, not 0-99. The 2nd century would have been 101-200, 3rd century was 201-300, and so on and so forth. The 20th century was 1901-2000. 1900 was the last year in the 18th century.
Roger Sampson
July 5, 2015 at 8:52 pm
“Actually he is correct. The year 1900 is the last year of the 19th century. The 20th century started in 1901. Just like the 21st century started in 2001. The Romans started counting first with the number one”
Armand
August 4, 2015 at 9:04 am
No, he’s correct. 1900 was the last year of the 19th century – why – because there never was a year zero.
Dcj
August 5, 2015 at 9:57 am
Bravo.
uDiscover
August 5, 2014 at 11:57 am
Thanks, Michael, corrected!
Capt South T. Lynn
July 6, 2015 at 12:44 am
They tend to drop the possessive apostrophe 50 years or so after original use.
Sandra Kaye
August 4, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Who said it was?
Colleen
August 4, 2014 at 10:35 pm
According to the tour guides at his Queens, NY house, his mother thought she heard fireworks outside the night he was born. As it turns out, they were actually gunshots.
Jazzlunatique
August 4, 2014 at 10:45 pm
That someone who discover the baptismal record was a great researcher and musicologist named Tad Jones
Bill Malone
July 5, 2015 at 12:05 pm
I knew Tad Jones. Great guy and great researcher.
Reginald Jackson
August 4, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Baptismal birth records were actually more accurate than city or town records in those days.
Reginald Jackson
August 4, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Baptismal birth records were actually more accurate than city and town records in those days anyway.
Joanne E. N. Rameka
August 4, 2014 at 11:35 pm
First of all Louis Armstrong, brilliant actor, brilliant entertainer, and a brilliant man, when he was born, is of no consequences, he is born, and on this earth, for 1 reason, TO LIVE, thankyou Mr and Mrs Armstrong. He did. Brilliantly.
Marci CAHOON
August 5, 2014 at 6:25 am
Is THAT all you got out of that article? Grammar and definitions? Sad!
bnh
August 5, 2014 at 7:44 am
The 0 year is always the first year of the century…just as it was in the 1st century
Norris
August 5, 2014 at 9:22 am
Except there was no year 0. The calendar starts at 1AD.
Bob "Hubba Jubba" Moss
August 5, 2014 at 11:06 am
I am eternally grateful to the person posting this tribute to Louis Armstrong, because it appeared directly under a post I shared, only to find out the connecting information was missing. But now my face book friends will be able to enjoy far more information than I could have ever shared with them. THANKS AGAIN!
uDiscover
August 5, 2014 at 11:59 am
Thanks, Bob, much appreciated
DJ
August 5, 2014 at 9:55 pm
I have to second the correction on 1900 – that is the last day of the 19th century, the 20th century starts on 1/1/1901. The 1900’s run from 1900 to 1999, and is not the same timeline as the 20th century. A good rule of thumb to remember is that the century ends the year it is named for – 18th century ends 1800, 19th century ends 1900, and on. All of this because there was no year Zero/Zed when the new calendar was adopted.
Paul-Emile Chenois
July 5, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Some books say that Louis declared himself one year older to be eligible for military service.
witz
July 5, 2015 at 6:51 pm
The FBI – americas pre-eminant investigative authority – lists Louis’ birthday as july 4, 1900.
Valeria
August 4, 2015 at 2:58 pm
really it doesn’t really matter to me the effective birth date..he was a great musician and person above all..can anyone tell me titles of books about his story?
Thanx
adansa
August 4, 2015 at 10:22 pm
Une très belle voix immortelle
Who dat Greg
August 4, 2015 at 11:49 pm
The part I didn’t like about the comment of his queens red brick house was the way they talked up living In New York like it was moving from the shit of New Orleans to fancy brick New York. I’d much rather live a life near or in the French quarter than to step a foot in the big rotten apple
Ventura
July 20, 2016 at 5:28 am
I live his music I wish he was making music in this century.
Jacqui Lindfors
August 5, 2016 at 1:55 am
I met Louis Armstrong 1962 Sun Valley, Idaho. Wonderful , Sweet , Talented Musician.
Ken Steiner
August 5, 2016 at 3:31 am
The question of Armstrong’s DOB is not settled.
http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2015/07/happy-birthday-pops-case-for-july-4-1901.html
JP
September 19, 2017 at 5:54 am
Hi,
I was wondering if you know the name of Louis Armstrong’s song about his life that he sings over the music of the saint go marching in. I had it on an old cd but can’t find it anymore. Thanks
Richard David Bartolotta
July 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm
The most important America musician in the first half of the 20th century. No matter when the century started.