[Dixielandjazz] Re: Louis & Bix

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Anton,
Good one.
Louis:   On the two occasions when I actually met 'Louis' face-to-face I
called him Mr Armstrong, as we were taught to do when I was a kid.
He didn't comment one way or the other.
It was the same with Cab Calloway and Jimmy Rushing.
So I continued to call each of them mister.
However, on most occasions I always introduce myself first, as Bill Haesler,
and usually receive the answer "Hi Bill, I'm - Barney Bigard, Eddie Condon,
Buck Clayton, Arvell Shaw, Billy Banks, Ralph Sutton, Wild Bill Davison,
Kenny Davern, Turk Murphy, Wally Rose, Clark Terry, Bob Wilber, etc.
Dick Cary introduced himself to me. He believed that in 1964 we Australians
would never have heard of him. He was astonished when I revealed that not
only did I know exactly who he was, but had his earliest records made in
1942 with Joe Marsala's Chosen Seven. A delightful man, who revisited us
again in 1976.

Bix:   As you point out, the 'Certification of Birth' dated 30th January
1963 from the County Register; Vital Statistics, State of Iowa (reproduced
in the 1974 Sudhalter-Evans book 'Bix. Man & Legend') indicates the name as
Leon Bix Beiderbecke.
This document has also been reproduced in the 1998 book 'Bix. The Leon Bix
Beiderbecke Story' by Philip R and Linda K Evans which also provides a copy
of another 'Certification of Birth' from the Department of Health; Division
of Vital Statistics' dated 5 Feb 1963 showing the name as Leon B
Beiderbecke. It also reveals that although Bix was born on March 10, 1901,
the birth was not filed with the Department of Health until Aug 12, 1904!
Therefore, as you imply, the answer is not cut and dried, notwithstanding
later published reminiscences by Bix's relatives [Bix not Bismark].
Your suggestion that someone re-examine the original 'Certifcation of Birth'
in Book 6, Page 24 in the Iowa Scott County register is a good one. If it
still exists.
But surely, somebody must have done this by now.
Kind regards,
Bill.