Armstrong daughter reissues memoir

125 years ago, Louis Armstrong was born. To mark the anniversary, his daughter Sharon Preston-Folta has reissued her memoir, "Little Satchmo," with St. Petersburg Press. The book, first self-published in 2012, details her life as the child of the legendary jazz musician and vaudeville dancer Lucille "Sweets" Preston.

Armstrong never publicly acknowledged Preston-Folta, who was born on June 24, 1955. The couple, who had been dancing partners at Harlem’s Cotton Club, began their affair in the early 1950s. Armstrong remained married to his fourth wife, Lucille, until his death in 1971. Despite the secret status, Armstrong directed his manager to send monthly support payments and visited frequently. In 1962, he bought the family a home in Mount Vernon, New York.

Preston-Folta, a longtime resident of Sarasota, kept mementos including signed photographs, letters, and cassette tapes where Armstrong acted as a DJ for them. In a letter quoted in the book, Armstrong promised to cover her college education once she finished high school. The updated book concludes with a letter to her mother, who died in 2020 at age 98. Preston-Folta said her mother initially feared public judgment but later attended book and film appearances, receiving warm reception.

The original memoir was adapted into a PBS documentary that won a Southeastern Emmy Award in 2024. Preston-Folta said the reissue allows her to tie the book to the film and upgrade the presentation. She noted that writing the book helped her process the secrecy and shame of her childhood. "The universal story is forgiveness, and owning the experience without the shame," she said.

Preston-Folta holds a bachelor's degree in communication arts from Iona University. She worked as an account executive at WUSF for nine years before becoming a consultant and voiceover artist. She previously pursued a legal claim to her heritage, but the effort ended after Lucille Armstrong died in 1983.

The reissued "Little Satchmo" is available from St. Petersburg Press. The book includes new material and updates the narrative to reflect the passage of time since the 2012 original.