Today in Louisiana Music History

Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong claimed all of his life that he was born in New Orleans on the fourth of July 1900. He was the first jazz star. His improvisational approach to jazz trumpeting and singing changed jazz and popular music forever. He recorded and toured extensively during his career which lasted close to fifty years.

Happy birthday to barrel-house pianist "Champion" Jack Dupree. Dupree was born in New Orleans and taught himself piano there and later apprenticed with Tuts Washington. As a youngster he was a Spyboy with the Yellow Pocahontas Mardi Gras Indian tribe. He did a good bit of traveling as a young man and also was a boxer for a time where he picked up the nickname "Champion." His recording career stretches from the early forties to the early nineties, some of it overseas. In later years he recorded with John Mayall, Mick Taylor, and Eric Clapton. Dupree passed in 1992 in Hanover Germany.

Happy birthday to guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Smiley Lewis (Overton Amos Lemons) born in 1913 in DeQuincy, Louisiana. He came to prominence is the early fifties with his Imperial recordings with Dave Bartholomew. His biggest hit was his original recording of "I Hear You Knocking."