Fresh Air Best Of: Louis Armstrong's Early Years / Our Anti-Social Century
7 snips
Feb 22, 2025 
Ricky Riccardi, Director of research collections at the Louis Armstrong House Museum, shares insights on how Louis Armstrong became the first Black pop star, revolutionizing music with improvisation and scat singing. He discusses Armstrong's challenging early life and breakout success. Meanwhile, Derek Thompson from The Atlantic dives into the loneliness epidemic, revealing how technology fosters isolation. He emphasizes the decline of social interaction and offers ideas for revitalizing community connections in today’s anti-social environment.
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Armstrong's Impact
- Louis Armstrong revolutionized both singing and instrumental soloing.
- He's considered the first Black pop star, achieving widespread commercial success.
Scatting's Origin
- The story goes that Armstrong invented scatting after dropping his sheet music mid-song.
- However, he had experimented with wordless vocalizing before.
Unrecognized Vocal Talent
- Early in his career, bandleaders discouraged Armstrong from singing.
- He later proved them wrong, becoming a beloved vocalist.
