Louis Armstrong was an American vocalist and trumpeter. He had a successful music career that made him one of the most influential musicians in jazz.
Fun Facts
- “What a Wonderful World” by Armstrong was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
- Bob Thiele and George David Weiss wrote the catchy lyrics. Weiss is also known for helping write “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
- Bob Thiele used the alias George Douglas.
- “What a Wonderful World” was recorded on April 16, 1967, at United Recording Studio in Las Vegas. It was quite the recording session, occurring between 2 am, and 6 am. The band also had to navigate passing trains during their arrangement.
- Despite being a talented trumpet player, Armstrong doesn’t play it for this song.
- Larry Newton was the president of ABC records in 1967. He refused to promote the hit single in the US, which led to only 1000 records selling. However, the case was different in the UK, where the record reached the top spot on the charts.
- The song hit #1 in April 1968 in the UK.
- The song had a second wind when it was used in Robin Williams’s film Good Morning, Vietnam.
- Bob Thiele was also the producer in charge of recording “What a Wonderful World.”
- The song was originally written for Armstrong, but it was first offered to Tony Bennett. Bennett turned it down but has since recorded several covers.
- Louis Armstrong died from a heart attack in his sleep on July 6, 1971, after performing against his doctor’s orders. He was 69 years old.
Lyrics
I see trees of green, red roses, too,
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue, and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky,
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands, sayin’, “How do you do?”
They’re really sayin’, “I love you.”
I hear babies cryin’. I watch them grow.
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Helicopter pilot/Vietnam Vet played this during the last few minutes of our sightseeing flight over Kuaii . My husband,also a Vietnam Vet and I were celebrating our 15th Anniversary. Since that day Louis Armstrong’s recording shares a special place in our place in our hearts and always will