Daniel J. Watts Honors Louis Armstrong's Legacy
2020 is proving to be a busy year for Tony-nominated actor, writer and activist Daniel J. Watts.
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Oct. 21, 2020
2020 is proving to be a busy year for Tony-nominated actor, writer and activist Daniel J. Watts, whose other Broadway credits include The Color Purple, Memphis, In the Heights and Hamilton.
Fresh off his nomination for his role as Ike Turner in the TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, Watts is now championing Louis Armstrong's legacy via the Armstrong Now initiative, which pays tribute to the jazz icon.
Watch Watts perform "Fish Heads" among the antique turquoise cabinets of the Louis Armstrong House Museum's kitchen. An original spoken word poem, "Fish Heads" was inspired by an archival interview in which Louis fondly recalls eating fish heads while growing up. Watch the performance below.
The goal of Armstrong Now is to reacquaint audiences everywhere with Louis Armstrong's legacy of artistry and innovation. Inspired by the newly digitized archives of Louis Armstrong and the LAHM research collections, four groups of renowned artists, with the help of artistic producer Jake Goldbas, have created original short films exploring their respective artforms from spoken word to dance.
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