Louis Armstrong before he was famous

He hauled coal. Then he soloed on riverboats.

The nobody years

1901 Born in the Battlefield
Louis Armstrong comes into the world in 1901, in a poor section of New Orleans people call the Battlefield. For the first five years of his life, his grandmother raises him there. The streets outside are the only classroom he has.
Was born in a poor section of New Orleans known as the Battlefield, and lived with his grandmother until he was five. Source
c. 1907 Rag, bone and coal hauling
As a boy he goes to work for the Karnoffskys, a Lithuanian-Jewish family. He rides with them collecting rags and bones, and hauls coal to their customers. It is hard, dirty work for a child.
As a boy worked for the Karnoffsky family, a Lithuanian-Jewish household, helping collect rags and bones and deliver coal. Source
c. 1907 First cornet, bought on credit
With money advanced by Morris Karnoffsky, the boy gets his hands on his very first cornet. The family he collects rags for is the reason he owns a horn at all. Everything that follows starts with that loan.
Received his first cornet with money advanced by Morris Karnoffsky, the family he worked for. Source
1911 Drops out at eleven
At eleven, Louis leaves school for good. There's no more classroom, no more lessons — just work and the noise of the city. Whatever he learns now, he learns outside.
Dropped out of school at eleven. Source
December 31, 1912 Arrested on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve, 1912, Louis fires his stepfather's gun into the air. The police pick him up that night. He's sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys.
Was arrested on New Year's Eve for firing his stepfather's gun into the air and was sent to the Colored Waif's Home for Boys. Source
1913–1914 Waif's Home band, Peter Davis
Inside the Waif's Home there's a band, and an instructor named Peter Davis. Under Davis, Louis finally learns to play the cornet properly. The playing is good enough that cornetist Kid Ory takes notice.
Learned to play cornet properly in the Waif's Home band under instructor Peter Davis, where he caught the attention of cornetist Kid Ory. Source
1915–1917 Spasm bands in Storyville
Out of the home, Louis works whatever odd jobs he can find. At night he plays in informal spasm bands on the streets of Storyville, the city's red-light district. Steady band work is still somewhere ahead of him.
Worked odd jobs and played in informal 'spasm bands' on the streets of Storyville, New Orleans's red-light district, before landing steady band work. Source
1918–1922 Riverboat band, Fate Marable
Then comes the work on the water. Louis plays jazz on Mississippi riverboats in Fate Marable's band, night after night. Here he learns to read music and builds the soloing that will carry him.
Played jazz on Mississippi riverboats in Fate Marable's band, where he learned to read music and built his soloing experience. Source