125 years after Louis Armstrong's birth, his daughter reissues memoir

Sharon Preston-Folta grew up knowing her father was Louis Armstrong, but the world did not learn that fact until 2012.

Armstrong, the trumpet player known to fans as Satchmo, was married to Lucille Armstrong while maintaining a relationship with vaudeville dancer Lucille “Sweets” Preston. Sharon was born on June 24, 1955, in the 12th year of that affair. Although Armstrong never publicly acknowledged his daughter, he directed his manager to send monthly support payments and visited the family in the New York area.

In 1962, Armstrong purchased a house in Mount Vernon, New York, for Sharon and her mother. Preston-Folta recalls that her mother believed Armstrong would eventually leave his fourth wife to marry her. That did not happen. Armstrong died in 1971, still married and famous. Sweets Preston died in 2020 at age 98.

Preston-Folta self-published her memoir, Little Satchmo: Living in the Shadow of My Father, Louis Daniel Armstrong, in 2012. The book detailed her childhood memories, including cards and cassette tapes Armstrong sent to her and her mother. Twelve years later, a documentary adapted from the memoir aired on PBS and won a Southeastern Emmy Award.

St. Petersburg Press has reissued the updated memoir this month. Preston-Folta, a longtime resident of Sarasota, said the timing aligns with her father’s 125th birthday. “So it was a great opportunity to re-publish the story, tie it in with the documentary, and really upgrade the presentation,” she said. The new edition concludes with a letter to her late mother, whereas the original ended with a letter to her father.

The update comes as Preston-Folta reflects on the years she spent keeping the family secret. “The secrecy led to the shame, because I had so many questions that weren’t answered,” she said. She noted that her mother initially worried about public judgment after the book’s release. “People embraced her. She came to some of the (book and film) appearances with me, and people were happy to meet her,” Preston-Folta recalled.

Preston-Folta, who works as a consultant and voiceover artist after a career in media, said the process of writing and re-releasing the book helped her process the experience. “By taking action, and not allowing it to silence me, I worked through the hurt,” she said. She previously attempted a legal claim to her heritage, but the effort did not result in a settlement, particularly after Lucille Armstrong died in 1983.