[Dixielandjazz] Louis Armstrong pronounced his name "Lewis"

[Steve barbone]

Listmates:

>From the Louis Armstrong Archives Official Website - FAQ.

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"Is Louis's name pronounced "Lewis" or "Louie"?"

"Judging from home recorded tapes now in the Archives, Louis pronounced his
own name as "Lewis." On his 1964 record "Hello, Dolly," he sings, "This is
Lewis, Dolly" but in 1933 he made a record called "Laughin' Louie." Many
broadcast announcers, fans, and acquaintances called him "Louie" and the
Armstrong Archives has a 1983 videotape of Lucille Armstrong in which she
calls her late husband "Louie." Musicians and close friends usually called
him 'Pops.'"
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>From my own experience in meeting him (introduced by Alec Templeton in
Greenwich Connecticut in the 50s), he preferred "LEWIS".

Waiting to be introduced, I said to Arvell Shaw that I was just thrilled to
be meeting LOUIE Armstrong. Shaw said to me, something like the following:

"Young man, call him Satch or Pops, but not Louie. Only people who don't
know any better call him Louie. You want to considered in the know, call him
Lewis, or better, since you are a jazz musician, call him "POPS" as a sign
of respect."

Cheers,
Steve Barbone