Louis Armstrong's world remembered in New York City

CORONA (WABC) -- He was called "Satchmo" and "Pops" to his friends, but Louis Armstrong was one of the most famous Americans of the 20th century known around the world. He's still remembered for singing "What A Wonderful World" but his world was centered in New York City.

The Louis Armstrong House and Museum is open to the public and it's one of the treasures of our city. Tucked away on a quiet residential street in the Corona section of Queens is the former home of one of the giants of jazz.

Jazz was born well before Louis Armstrong, but he helped to define it, becoming in the process one of the most famous Americans of his time. So popular he knocked 'The Beatles' off the top of the charts at the height of their fame.

John Douglas Thompson stars as "Satchmo at the Waldorf" a one man play that takes its title from the trumpet player's nickname and offers a portrait of the great man near the end of his life.

"Seventy years old, and here I am at the Waldorf Astoria. How'd I get so lucky?" he says during the show.

The answer can be found at the home in Queens that Louis Armstrong bought in 1943.

Thompson says he came "to understand the man behind the horn."

"He wanted to be part of this neighborhood, wanted to be part of this community," Thompson said.

For a man of his means, it is remarkably modest, yet he was quick to remind visitors of his small den. This was a big step-up from the poverty of New Orleans where he grew-up.

Armstrong recorded his life and work on well over 600 tapes, now A priceless record of time gone by, an introduction to a great man for a younger generation and anyone looking for inspiration.

"What made him a beacon is obviously his artistry, his commitment to his music, his virtuosity and his human kindness and his level of generosity," Thompson said.

Armstrong once got a trumpet from the King of England (below) and yet he gave it away to another musician apparently because he admired it! The museum got it later.

You can reach the Louis Armstrong House and Museum easily via subway on the number 7 line, and I urge you to check it out and go see "Satchmo at the Waldorf" at Westside Theater before that play closes next week.