The Story of Louis Armstrong

On this episode of Our American Stories, few writers have ever changed the course of history the way Thomas Paine did. His pamphlet Common Sense electrified the American colonies, helped turn public opinion toward independence, and inspired ordinary Americans to support the Revol ...  Show more

On this episode of Our American Stories, growing up, Joy Neal Kidney knew her father as an Iowa farmer, a simple, kind man in overalls who drove tractors, tended livestock, and taught his children the value of hard work. But before that, he had lived a very different life. During ...  Show more

June 28, 1928. Louis Armstrong is in the studio recording what he hopes will be another hit. His career is on the rise, but he’s not a household name yet. But he’s about to lay down a track – “West End Blues” – that won’t just change his career, but the entire genre of jazz. But ...  Show more

Rising British jazz musician Nick Pritchard unveiled his latest single 1961. We delved into his musical journey, his passion for jazz music, and even his television career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

It's become one of the strangest anecdotes in modern American history -- numerous sources will swear to you that, in a last-minute panic before reaching customs, legendary musician Louis Armstrong had Richard Nixon's unwitting assistance smuggling a hefty amount of marijuana thro ...  Show more

In the 1930s, America was captivated by a scandalous courtroom drama - a custody battle of little 10-year-old Gloria Vanderbilt (mother of Anderson Cooper). Gloria's mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, was accused of improperly managing her daughter's trust and galivating around Eu ...  Show more