It was 1918 and from this moment he started his career in music and became one of the greatest jazz trumpet player in history.

He played on riverboats and with good black bands around New Orleans. Then he moved to Chicago to play with the Creole Jazz Band, a legend in jazz circles, to New York, where he joined the Fletcher Henderson Band, and back to Chicago.

Between 1925 and 1928, he recorded the “Hot Five” series of jazz records. Many people think this is the best jazz ever recorded. Armstrong became a role model for many jazz players. In the early 1930s Armstrong started to travel all over the United States and Europe and soon became one of the most famous men in America. In the 1930s and 1940s, Armstrong played and sang with his own big dance band. He became known as much for his singing as his playing. He also appeared in movies and on the radio.