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 Louis Armstrong

We can never forget Louis Armstrong who had a nickname Satchmo and Pops who was a trumpeter and singer of American jazz.  He came to be known as a expert cornet and trumpet virtuoso. Armstrong was a great influence on jazz and he changed his music focus from collective improvisation to a solo performer.  He was an outstanding singer who blended lyrics and expressive melody.  Louis Armstrong was also good at scat singing or wordless vocalizing.  His career started to end around the 60's.  He was probably the most important musician of the 20th Century. Louis Armstrong was born July 4, 1990 (Independence Day in the USA).  He was born to a family in New Orleans.  He later attended Fisk School for Boys where he got his first exposure to Creole music. He hung out in dance halls like the "Funky Butt," which was close to his home.  Armstrong listened to bands and played in the dancehalls.  Armstrong grew up at the low part of the social ladder in a segregated city.  He had a continuous liking of music called "ragtime" and not yet "jazz."  He use to say, Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine-I look right in the heart of good Old New Orleans...It has given me something to live for."  Armstrong played at dance hall jobs at Henry Ponce's.  He also played  in the city brass band and learned from Bunk Johnson, Buddy Petit, Kid Ory, and Joe "King Oliver" who acted as a mentor father figure.  He traveled with the well-known band of Fate Marable that toured on a steamboat dowm the Mississippi River.  Later in his career Duke Ellington would go to Roseland to catch Armstrong in performing to young men.  Armstrong made recordings on the side, arranged by an old friend from New Orleans, a pianist Clarence Williams some singers accompainment such as Bessie Smith, MaRainey and Alberta Hunter.  He was in New York a while with the Henderson Orcestra then later returned to Chicago.  He produced such hits as "Potato Head Blues," "Maggles" and "West End Blues."   After he seperated from Lil, Louis Armstron played at the Sunset Cafe for Al Capone associate Jo Glaser in the Carol Dickerson Orcestra, with Earl Hines on piano.  He played for the musical Hot Chocolate with pianst/composer Fats Waller.  Armstrong made an appearance as a vocalist stealing the show of "Ain't Misbehavin."  One of his old friends was Hoagy Carmichael who "stardust" became popular using Armstrong unique vocals and sound. Later, after spending many years on the road he settled in Queens New York in 1943, with his forth wife.  Although he was exposed to Tin Pan Alley and gangster-ridden music business as well as prejudice, he continued playing.  Louis Armstrong made many recordings and appeared in over 30 films. (Source:wikipedia)

      Rick James

 It was in the late 70's around when the popularity and fortunes of Motown were easily seen all around, that Rick James came and took the company off it's feet. He provided funky hits and updated to labels style with a new beat till the mid 80's.  

  Elton John

  A winner of many Grammy awards Elton John is a legend and a flamboyant superstar.  he is one of the most successful singers, piano, and songwriters of his day.  He has many seasons of concerts, and Elton John has a large collection of songs in musical and visual extravaganza. Eltons store Caesars Palace in Las Vegas is a big business and popular shopping place for fans. (Source: eltonjohn.com)  

   Vince Vaughn 

           Vince Vaughn has recently landed a comedy show on DVD with him and other comedians.  He features stand up comedy and is known by the famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

  Beyonce Knowles

 Beyonce Knowles is a singer/actress of the Dreamgirls.  She is up front to earn more than any other black actress in Hollywood for her her acting role in Dreamgirls.  Dreamgirls is an account of Diana Ross and the Supremes of the Motown 60's Knowles watches her fee rise to 12.5 million dollars.  That is twice as much as she earned in her role as a secret agent in Austin Powers Goldmember. (Source: chinadaily)

   Whoopi Golberg

Whoopi Golberg is an astonishing American actress, comedian and television host.  her awards include an Emmy, am Oscar, a Tony Award and  Daytime Emmy Awards.  She is an African american performer. (Source: wikipedia)

John Sengstacke

 Signed by his uncle Robert S. Abbot, John Sengstacke was publisher of the Chicago Defender.  The Chicago Defender is a large black owned newspaper in Chicago Illinois. (Source: pbs)

       Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez had her first real screen role in 1995 in a Gregory Nava melodrama.  Lozpez started her career as a Fly Girl- a dancer on a comedy series.  Then she appeared in music videos by Puff Daddy and Janet Jackson.  She has claassis Latina beauty.  Lopez was born in the Bronx to parents of Puerto Rican decent.  She has been hittting it big with actors such as Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. (Source: moviefone) (Source: People)   

  Bruce Springsteen

Musician Bruce Springsteen lasy year grossed over $26 million.  Springsteen is widely known for his brand of heartland rock mixed with pop and poetic lyrics.  For nearly for decades Bruce Springsteen has been a rock and roll working-class hero. (Source:  forbes and wikipedia)   Donald Trump

Donald Trump is an american, television personality and author.  He is chariman and CEO of the Trump Organization a US stationed real estate developer.  He also found Entertainment Resorts which runs many hotels and casinos around the world.  This New York real estate giant made a sizeable fortune also on his other job-hosting NBC's " The Apprentice." (Source: wikipedia and forbes)

  Jessica Simpson

American Pop Singer and actress Jessica Simpson was one of last years  most popular cover girls.  She sold the right to her name last year to the Tarrant Apparel Group for $10 million.  She is 26 years old.  Jessica appeared in "The Dukes of Hazzard" last year and will hit the next big comedy "Employee of the Month." (Source:  forbes amd wikipedia)

 Michael Jordan

 The legendary basketball star still makes enormous profits in business.  Most of the income Michael Jordan gets comes from Swoosh.  Nikes Jordan brand is a $500 million  business in sales this year.  Jordan has a book, "Driven From Within," which has sold 111,000 copies since it was released in the fall Forbes noted. (Sources: Forbes)

 Mohammed Al Amoundi

The man Mohamed Al Amoudi has a reputation as the richest Black person in the whole world. he has a calculated total net worth of over $9 billion. Al Amoudi acquired his huge fortune in construction realestate and betting on Swedish and Morocan oil refineries. Al Amoudi is probably the biggest provate investor in Ethiopia. He put money into hotels, gold mines and food processing plants.

(Source: blackamericans.com)