In 2002, PBS aired "Sweet Old Song" for the first time abouth reknowned artist Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong. The PBS "Sweet Old Song" website features clips from that movie, samplings of music and a gallery of Armstong's art.

The clips below are from the 1985 Terry Zwigoff film entilted "Louie Bluie."

St. Mary's of Campbell County
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Cumberland Trail State Park

Brought to you by the:
Campbell Culture Coalition

The inaugural Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival is named in honor of Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong who grew up in LaFollette in the 1920s and became one of the nation's finest black string-band musicians and named a national treasure by the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in 1909, Armstrong began performing with his family in the 1920's after his father made a fiddle for him out of an old store crate. By 1925, at the age of 14, Armstrong was well on his way to becoming a professional musician, mastering techniques on both the fiddle and the mandolin. In 1930, Armstrong recorded for the Vocalion label in Knoxville, Tennessee at the landmark St. James Hotel sessions. He was known as the backbone of the Martin, Bogan and Armstrong trio, a group that folk-legend Steve Goodman would later call “the best string band ever!”

Armstrong proved to be a true Renaissance Man, excelling in a variety of artistic endeavors during his amazing 80-year career including storytelling, poetry and painting. He managed to conquer nearly every genre of music, learned to play 22 instruments and spoke seven languages. One of his most celebrated accomplishments involved learning traditional folk songs in their native tongues and then performing them flawlessly to the astonishment of ethnic audiences.

Armstrong's life was connected to the world in many ways. He played Carnegie Hall, painted political signs for Estes Kefauver, occupied a Civil Service position in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor, toured South America on a U.S. State Department funded project, recorded and performed with many of the first generation Chicago Blues greats, served as a consultant on the film “The Color Purple,” became immortalized by comic book illustrator R. Crumb, and performed at two World Fairs nearly 50 years apart; Chicago 1933 and Knoxville 1982.

Armstrong's fans span the world. Notable collectors of Armstrong's works include Morgan Freeman, Quincy Jones and Roger Ebert.

Armstrong was part of a whole generation of African-American string-band artists who played Americana in the 1920's and 30's for black and white audiences alike, everything from Tin Pan Alley tunes to gospel and blues. Like “Louie Bluie” who was an accomplished musician, painter, and storyteller, the Louie Bluie Festival will showcase the arts, crafts, music, and stories of our region.

Here are four Howard Armstrong songs that illustrate the diversity of his styles and the depth of his talent.

Railroad Blues

Howard on the violin...

Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

...and on the mandolin.

Louie Bluie Blues

Great example of his voice, the quality of his backup musicians, and his song-writing skills.

When He Calls I Will Answer

This song was very meaningful to Howard Armstrong.

Louie Bluie Links

Check out these Websites for more information about Howard Armstrong:

Sweet Old Song

PBS website devoted to Leah Mahan's 2002 film documentary on Howard Armstrong. A wealth of information and pictures.

St. James Hotel Session

A cool link that features the history and sound clips from Howard Armstrong's landmark 1930 Knoxville recording, a video clip from WBIR's Heartland Series, and a Metropulse article by historian Jack Neely