Memoir Reissue: Armstrong's Daughter Ends Book With Letter To Her Mother

Sharon Preston-Folta kept her father's identity inside the family for decades because Louis Armstrong was married to someone else. The new edition of her memoir, Little Satchmo: Living in the Shadow of My Father, Louis Daniel Armstrong, ends with a letter to her mother. The first publication, issued in 2012, ended with a letter to Armstrong.

Preston-Folta's family knew Armstrong was her father, but the connection remained out of public view while he was alive. He died in 1971, still married to his fourth wife, also named Lucille.

Armstrong met Lucille "Sweets" Preston in the early 1950s. She performed as a dancing duo with her husband, Slim Preston, at Harlem's Cotton Club, where Armstrong also played, and they later toured in package shows with him. Sharon Preston-Folta was born on June 24, 1955.

Armstrong never publicly claimed her as a daughter. He directed his manager to send monthly support payments, visited when he could, and sometimes brought the mother and daughter along with his concert entourage in the New York area. In a letter, he wrote to Sweets: "Tell her if she's forgotten ol Satchmo, I don't blame her.. Regardless, I love her and am saving money especially for her college education."

In November 1962, Armstrong bought a house for them in Mount Vernon, New York. That purchase came in the 12th year of the relationship. Preston-Folta writes that her mother expected he would leave his wife and marry her, but he did not.

Preston-Folta self-published the memoir in 2012, 41 years after Armstrong's death. Twelve years later, the book was adapted into a documentary that aired on PBS and received a Southeastern Emmy Award.

St. Petersburg Press has now issued an updated version of the book. Preston-Folta, who lives in Sarasota, said the timing coincided with Armstrong'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.

She said writing the original account helped her process the secrecy around her upbringing. "The universal story is forgiveness, and owning the experience without the shame," she said. "So the secrecy led to the shame, because I had so many questions that weren't answered."

Her mother initially objected to the publication. Preston-Folta recalls her saying, "You were well taken care of.. Your father provided for you. I provided for you." Preston-Folta responded, "I said but that doesn't take away from me owning my legacy, and holding a secret that I didn't choose to hold."

Lucille Preston died in 2020 at age 98 and attended book and film appearances with her daughter. Armstrong's wife, Lucille Armstrong, signed a document stating he had fathered no children; she died in 1983. Preston-Folta attempted a legal claim to his estate, but there was little left to contest.