He was one of the most influential figures in jazz history, famous for hits such as What a Wonderful World, appearing in Hollywood movies and working with stars from Bing Crosby to Ella Fitzgerald.
Louis Armstrong’s childhood, however, was a world away from his later life – he grew up in serious poverty in a neighbourhood plagued by crime and violence. New evidence has now shed fresh light on the musician’s early life, including revelations that both his mother and sister faced arrests for prostitution.
