Louis Armstrong's final live album, "What a Wonderful World - Louis in London Live at the BBC," will be released worldwide on Friday, July 12th!

Universal Music LLC (headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Fujikura Hisashi; hereinafter referred to as “Universal Music”) will release Louis Armstrong’s live album “What a Wonderful World – Louis in London Live at the BBC” on Friday, July 12th.

Louis Armstrong, the entertainer of the century who redefined jazz with his revolutionary trumpet playing and singlehandedly invented the popular song, is set to have his live performance at the BBC in the UK recorded as “What a Wonderful World – Louis in London Live at the BBC” and released worldwide by Verve Records.

“What a Wonderful World,” which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, is one of the world’s most beloved and best-selling standards. To commemorate its cumulative sales of over 5 million copies in the U.S. since its original release in 1967, it has been certified 5x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, chairman of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, accepted the award on behalf of the band. The song has also been certified 5x Platinum in Canada, 1.5x Platinum in Germany, and platinum in the UK, Denmark, Italy, France, and Spain.

The album was recorded live on 2 July 1968, just a few weeks after “What a Wonderful World” hit No. 1 in the UK charts. Presented in high quality, high definition audio and video, the album features many of Louis Armstrong’s greatest songs, including his first public performance of WC Handy’s “Ole Miss,” the chart-topping “What a Wonderful World,” and classic versions of global hits such as “Mack the Knife” and “Hello, Dolly!”

The session was first broadcast on the BBC’s “Show Of The Week – Louis Armstrong” on September 22, 1968, two months after it was recorded, but unfortunately this session was the last performance Louis Armstrong ever performed before his death. From the moment Louis Armstrong received a copy of this recording, he wanted this music to be heard by people all over the world, so he sent copies of the tape to friends with a note that read “FOR THE FANS” on the outside of the tape box and played it whenever he had guests. Now, more than 50 years after his death, it will finally be shared with fans around the world.

Louis Armstrong – What A Wonderful World (At The BBC)