The entertainment of the 20's is completely different from the entertainment of today. The 20's were known as the "Jazz Age." This decade was known as the "Jazz Age" because jazz was very popular and just beginning to show off the talents. This could have also been known as the turning point in music. There were many different people who changed music and the way people look at it.
    Louis "Satchemo" Armstrong, was one of the people who helped change the music of the 1920's.  He was very well known through the decade.  He has dramatically changed music and has made it better.  Louis Armstrong, not only changed music, but also made one of his most famous recordings.  This recording was West End Blues, from 1925 to 1928.  When Louis was little, he started practicing his musical talents before and after school.
    Another person to change musical history was Duke Ellington.  He is known as American's greatest composer.  Duke's real name is Edward Kennedy Ellington.  He got his nickname from a classmate who admired him.  When Duke was young, he began taking piano lessons.  He disliked them very much.  Later, he joked that he continued to play the piano to attract girls, because he said that girls were attracted to piano players.  When Duke was 19 years old, he started playing at high school dances.  When he played at the concerts, he composed his own songs to play.  One of his songs was Soda Fountain Rag.  To impress the ladies in the crowds, he would slick his hair back  and dress "snazzy."  After a few years of this, he moved to New York.  In New York, they were in great need of performers.  He then played in many clubs and dance halls.  He then started his own band.  Even when Duke started, the people could tell a difference in his music from other artist's music.  Duke often traveled around to different places.  This way his music became known all over the world.  During his touring around the world, Duke composed thousands of songs.  Duke Ellington was considered one of the most famous music artists of the decade and century.

     George Gershwin produced some of America's most popular music in the 1920's.  He composed songs, musical comedies, film scores, and the opera, "Porgy and Bess."  His first concert composition was "Rhapsody and Blue, which consisted of classical piano and jazz.

    Yet another famous musical artist was Bessie Smith.  She was also known as the "Blues Empress." She was considered the most famous Blue's singer.   She started her musical career out very small, working in tiny tents to make money.  Her first recording was Down Hearted Blues.  Even though she was still rarely known, this album recorded sold over 2,000,000 copies its first year.  This was an amazing number, especially for the 1920's.  Later, her career came to a hault.  It became this way because of heavy drinking.  She started drinking while in her teens, and it just got heavier by the day.  Bessie had a strong, tender voice, and with that she made 160 recordings.

         Bessie Smith

1920's Home

Events

Fads and Fashions

Inventions

Sports Heroes