A new book reveals the jazz musician’s mother and sister were arrested several times for prostitution in New Orleans

He was one of the most influential figures in jazz history, famous for hits such as What a Wonderful World, appearing in Hollywood movies and working with stars from Bing Crosby to Ella Fitzgerald.

Louis Armstrong’s childhood, however, was a world away from his later life – he grew up in serious poverty in a neighbourhood plagued by crime and violence. New evidence has now shed fresh light on the musician’s early life, including revelations that both his mother and sister faced arrests for prostitution.