Louis Daniel Armstrong

Louis Armstrong

When it comes to jazz musicians, there are few that come close to Louis Armstrong or “Satchmo”, because he created jazz and he influenced the world with his music. Louis was born on August 4, 1901 and died on July 6, 1971. Louis made a difference in music lovers lives by donating his house into a museum for music right before he died by playing his music better than anyone else. His heroic qualities were persevering, influential, and determined.

Louis Armstrong showed he was persevering through two actions. The first action was he had to get two jobs and work as hard as he could to take care of his mother and sister when they were deathly ill. The final action was when his father and his mother left him after they left each other and left him all by himself until his aunt decided to take care of him when he was 1 year old.

Louis playing his trumpet (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)

Louis also showed how determined he was when he was alive by two actions. After he was sent to a boy’s reform school when he was eleven because he found a gun and started firing it off on the 4th of July yet he was determined to make the best out of his situation. He also was determined to learn how to read music and become the best jazz musician he could be after joining Joe Oliver band who later became a father figure to Louis and taught him how to play the trumpet.

Finally he was an influential hero. He taught people that anybody could become great no matter how wealthy you are, because he lived in the poorest part of New Orleans and he had to work two jobs yet he still became one of the greatest musicians ever. He also helped create jazz and make it popular through his actions and his music ability. He once went to Africa and played for a half the continent and for the queen of England.

The three qualities Louis had until he died were preserving, influential, and determined. All of these traits I think make someone a hero for many reasons. He’s my hero because he didn’t need super powers to be great; all he needed was those three heroic qualities and his trumpet. Those are the reasons I think of him as my hero.