Ricky Riccardi

And that's why I think when you read Armstrong's second autobiography, Satchman, My Life in New Orleans, it ends with, with him leaving New Orleans and joining King Oliver, because I think in his mind that was the climax. Everything that followed was gravy because he had survived this childhood that if it was a Hollywood film, somebody would say, well, this is cliche. This is rags to riches.

You know, nobody could have actually experienced this. But in his case, it's all true. And I found all the facts to back him up.

You know, nobody could have actually experienced this. But in his case, it's all true. And I found all the facts to back him up.

You know, nobody could have actually experienced this. But in his case, it's all true. And I found all the facts to back him up.

He did. And that was one line in his New York Times obituary that I'm sure had a lot of Hello Dolly fans kind of scratching their head. But it's true. And, you know, he told that story, too. He was stabbed in the shoulder by the prostitute that he tried serving as the pimp for. And he showed off that scar for the rest of his life.

He did. And that was one line in his New York Times obituary that I'm sure had a lot of Hello Dolly fans kind of scratching their head. But it's true. And, you know, he told that story, too. He was stabbed in the shoulder by the prostitute that he tried serving as the pimp for. And he showed off that scar for the rest of his life.

He did. And that was one line in his New York Times obituary that I'm sure had a lot of Hello Dolly fans kind of scratching their head. But it's true. And, you know, he told that story, too. He was stabbed in the shoulder by the prostitute that he tried serving as the pimp for. And he showed off that scar for the rest of his life.

So I also take time in the book to talk about the other figures from the Waif's home, the orphanage where he spent a couple of years and some of these people.

So I also take time in the book to talk about the other figures from the Waif's home, the orphanage where he spent a couple of years and some of these people.

So I also take time in the book to talk about the other figures from the Waif's home, the orphanage where he spent a couple of years and some of these people.

It was. According to his sister, she said definitively it was their mother's gun.

It was. According to his sister, she said definitively it was their mother's gun.

It was. According to his sister, she said definitively it was their mother's gun.

He was there a year and a half.

He was there a year and a half.

He was there a year and a half.

I mean, you hate to say something like, you know, that's the best thing that ever happened to him. But honestly, it was the first time that he had structure in his life. You know, the wife's home gave him three meals a day and schooling and taught him trades. But they more importantly, they had a music program run by a man named Peter Davis.

I mean, you hate to say something like, you know, that's the best thing that ever happened to him. But honestly, it was the first time that he had structure in his life. You know, the wife's home gave him three meals a day and schooling and taught him trades. But they more importantly, they had a music program run by a man named Peter Davis.

I mean, you hate to say something like, you know, that's the best thing that ever happened to him. But honestly, it was the first time that he had structure in his life. You know, the wife's home gave him three meals a day and schooling and taught him trades. But they more importantly, they had a music program run by a man named Peter Davis.

And at first, Davis did not give Armstrong the time of day because he knew kids from Armstrong's neighborhood were nothing but trouble. But he saw that Lewis was always hanging around the band room and eventually started him on the tambourine and the drum and the horn, the bugle, and finally the cornet.