Hello Dolly By Louis Armstrong

Three songs by the Beatles had been number one for 14 straight weeks; “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (7 weeks), “She Loves You” (2 weeks), and “Can’t Buy Me Love” (5 weeks). The big question was who would break their string of number one hits.

Not many people would have guessed a 63 year old jazz trumpet player singing a show tune but on May 9, 1964, “Hello Dolly” by Louis Armstrong reached number one on the BILLBOARD Hot 100 for one week. When the film was released five years later, Armstrong sang the song to Barbra Streisand.

Armstrong first recorded in 1922 as a part of King Oliver’s Jazz Creole Band and had his first solo hit in 1949 with “That Lucky Old Sun.” He passed away July 6, 1971, leaving behind the biggest hit of his career, “Hello Dolly.”

Hello Dolly 45 by Louis Armstrong

Right at the beginning of the Beatles era and The British Invasion of The United States, good old Louis Armstrong had the last big hit of his career. It was the title song from the Broadway Musical “Hello Dolly,” and it topped the BILLBOARD MAGAZINE Pop Singles Chart for one week during early 1964.

Armstrong was a noted jazz trumpet player but also had one of the most distictive voices in music. His gravelly voice was perfect for this old Broadway tune and it was an unusual song to reach number one during the 1960s.