[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: e-Pops Newsletter: August 18, 2007

[Bill Haesler]

Dear friends,
The following came through yesterday from < e-Pops at satchmo.net>.
"Dear Armstrong fan,
If you live in the New York area, or are planning to visit in the 
middle of September, please mark September 18 in your calendar. That's 
when we will be holding our next program, 'Louis Armstrong and Little 
Rock: What Really Happened.' We hope to see many of you there!"
Apparently, 1957 wasn't Louis' year.
In February a stick of dynamite was thrown at the theatre in Knoxville, 
Tennessee where the All Stars were performing before a segregated 
audience.
Then in July Louis had a spat with the Newport Jazz Festival organisers.
It was to be a celebration of his birthday and Louis was required to 
play every set. However, as Ella was a special guest, they didn't want 
Louis' friend and band member Velma Middleton to sing.
Louis won, but was extremely unhappy.
In September, just before the band was due to go on stage in North 
Dakota Louis watched TV and saw the National Guard enforcing 
segregation of the schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.
He blew up and lashed out publicly - from President Eisenhower on down. 
No more mister nice-guy.
His public career was in danger, but it survived.
It will be interesting to hear from the Louis Armstrong House Museum 
what "really happened".
Please, someone, keep your eyes and ears on this one and report back.
Kind regards,
Bill.