Louis Armstrong: "niger, illegitimus" -- and baptized Catholic

Deacon's Bench ^ | December 23, 2008 | Deacon Greg Kandra

[NYer]

Over at McNamara's Blog, Patrick McNamara has found another surprising bit of Catholic trivia, about one of the great popular jazz artists of the 20th century:

According to his own, cherished tradition, Louis Armstrong was an all-American jazz baby, born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the Fourth of July 1900. He believed this to the end of his days, and so did everyone else, until a baptismal certificate confirming his actual birth date as August 4, 1901, surfaced and in the name of scholarship silenced one of the happiest legends in American popular music. Exactly three weeks after his birth, the infant was taken to Sacred Heart of Jesus Church at 139 South Lopez Street to be baptized "according to the rite of the Roman Catholic Church."

The baptismal card, signed by the Reverend J. M. Toohey, described Louis as "niger, illegitimus," apparently because his father had by that time abandoned his mother and was living with another woman. So it was that Louis Armstrong, an illegitimate black child, was baptized into the Catholic Church. Since his grandmother, Josephine, was a practicing Catholic, she was most likely the one responsible for arranging the baptism, and the earliest religious influence over him, though limited, was largely Catholic.

Although baptized as a Catholic, Louis never thought of himself as a member of the Church. He remained similarly aloof from Protestantism, the religion of his mother and other family members. Even so, he was vaguely religious, and, at times, deeply spiritual, but his approach to religious matters was always unorthodox, and he took what he wanted from Catholicism, Baptism, and Judaism, and, under his grandmother's influence, voodoo.

[NYer]

Ping!

[mrclean5]

Today, he’d be president

[ichabod1]

One of the founding fathers of Jazz. Great man. He looked silly when he was blowing his horn, because he puffed his cheeks out, but he was a great man.

[sinanju]

He also did admit to a marijuana habit.

[Bon mots]

Today, he’d be president

???What???
Was he born in Africa too? A Communist?

[Dr. Ursus]

It’s a Wonderful World.....

[weegee]

...until a baptismal certificate confirming his actual birth date as August 4, 1901, surfaced and in the name of scholarship silenced one of the happiest legends in American popular music.

Barack Hussein Obama has not presented a birth certificate OR baptismal certificate yet. But his staff professes his agnostic mother and non-practicing muslim fathers raised him as a Christian.

[VeniVidiVici]

Wonder if Rev Toohey knew this guy

(as CNN screws over another Republican)

[bcsco]

I had a short acquaintance with Louis over the period of 4 years in my early teens. A gentleman and a superb musician. It was he who first called me “Jimbo”, a name I still use in recollection of how he treated me; a nobody.

[Lee N. Field]

Since his grandmother, Josephine, was a practicing Catholic,
..
under his grandmother's influence, voodoo.

I take it Grandma wasn't that good of a Catholic?

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

I always loved the story about how Louis' wife bought them a house while he was on the road in the 1943, a pretty modest place in Queens. When Louis returned from off the road, all he had was an address that he had to give to the cabbie. Later, when he could afford something much nicer, he refused to move. It was the only house he'd ever lived in, after years in orphanages and hotel rooms, and he was staying put. And when he was home (which wasn't much--he played 300 nights a year), he'd sit on his front steps and play for the kids in the neighborhood.

His importance to American music can hardly be overstated. And as much as his reputation was for his trumpet playing, it's probably his singing that has been more influential.

[Vigilanteman]

Today, he’d be president

Not a chance. He was a great musician, accomplished businessman and deeply patriotic. He made it a point to remind people how good this country had been to him at every concert. The audience loved Louie even more than Louie loved his audiences.

Heck, I wouldn't even be surprised if he was a Republican.

I remember actually attending one of his concerts in the 1960's in Kansas City. For some reason, I remember his shiny teeth better than his music. Please cut me a little slack because I was 7 or 8 years old at the time.

[HIDEK6]

He looked silly when he was blowing his horn, because he puffed his cheeks out, but he was a great man.

Might you have him confused with Dizzy Gillespie?

[bcsco]

His importance to American music can hardly be overstated. And as much as his reputation was for his trumpet playing, it's probably his singing that has been more influential.

Among the public perhaps. But it was his playing that influenced many a jazz musician.

It was he and his "All Stars" who played yearly in Lake Geneva, WI at the Riviera Ballroom. That's where I met him. I got to know all those guys, the same ones in "High Society" with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. In fact, that bus at the beginning of the movie, or one like it, was parked outside the Riviera at each concert. The only switch in band members I recall over the years was Barney Bigard sitting in for Ed Hall on clarinet once or twice. Velma Middleton was the band's singer at the time.

[metesky]

Great pic of a great musician.

[Vigilanteman]

Everyone has two grandmas, so might not have been the same one.

[HIDEK6]

They asked Niger Innis about that screenshot and he said, “I think they thought I was a rap singer.”

[bcsco]

Might you have him confused with Dizzy Gillespie?

They both puffed out their cheeks when playing. Dizzy's were more predominant that Satch's, however.

[Military family member]

One of the founding fathers of Jazz. Great man. He looked silly when he was blowing his horn, because he puffed his cheeks out, but he was a great man.

With all due respect, you are thinking Dizzy Gillispe.

Armstrong kept his cheeks tight.