He was said to have thought he was born on July 4, 1900 (Armstrong 7). While Louis was still a child, his father, William Armstrong, abandoned his family. He spent the first years of his life with his grandmother as his parents were going through a separation at the time. At the age of 5 he moved into a house with his mother and sister Beatrice, whom he called Mama Lucy. He grew up in a rough area of ​​New Orleans. They were incredibly poor and didn't have enough money. He would work several jobs just to take care of his family. Louis would work wherever he could find work. He sang on the street, which would lead to his nickname, Satchelmouth, which would be shortened to Satchmo. His nickname was a result of the fact that he had a wide