Louis Armstrong 'Satchmo'
by Bill Ward
(United Kingdom)
Personally Signed by Satchmo
Before the Second World War my dad Alex had a club,a sort of speakeasy really, in London's Soho called The Jigs.
Catering mainly to West Indian boxers, seamen and jazz fans, he always invited visiting musicians in as guests.
Hence the Louis Armstrong signed photo attached, a bit dog-eared now after 70 years in various attics. Also Joe Louis, Mills Brothers, Cab Calloway and others signed photos to adorn the walls.
In the Fifties, Dad took me along to a Satchmo concert in London and, following the performance, we joined the queue to see the great man in his dressing room. He was renowned for seeing, and giving his time to, everyone who had made the effort to see him.
Satchmo signed our copy of Swing That Music (Satchmo's first autobiography) and made my Dad feel like an old friend even though, after many thousands of fans and twenty years between meetings, of course he was just another face.
The Great Man also signed my programme together with Peg-Leg Bates. Satchmo signed the book a second time on his next UK visit, so I think my (now) copy of Swing That Music may just be unique.
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