Louis Armstrong’s Secret Daughter, A Sarasota Resident, Reclaims Her Family Story In Film

SARASOTA, FL — For most of her life, Sarasota resident Sharon Preston-Folta kept a substantial secret from the world — iconic jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong was her father.

Now, she reclaims her life’s story — and her family legacy — through the documentary “Little Satchmo,” which made its regional debut Thursday night at Fogartyville Community Media and Arts Center.

For those who missed the screening, her film will be part of Sarasota’s Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival March 10-14 and will reach a national audience when it kicks off the upcoming season of the PBS series “Reel South” on April 11.

Preston-Folta’s mother, Lucille “Sweets” Preston, was a vaudeville dancer from Harlem, New York. After her husband and dance partner died in 1950, she became Armstrong’s mistress for more than two decades.

Though Preston-Folta didn’t see her father often, the pioneering musician — who was married to his fourth wife at the time Preston-Folta was born — cared for her family by sending them money.

As a young child, the New York native understood she couldn’t tell her friends and classmates about her father, but it was an open secret among her extended family.

Though he wasn’t physically there, Armstrong was still a strong presence in her life. His music — and the songs of his friends, also iconic artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Jonah Jones and Jimmy Smith — filled her home.

“Always from the time I can remember I always heard music. I grew up listening to my father's music that was just what I thought everybody had playing in the house because that was always the case,” Preston-Folta told Patch.

Whenever her father was scheduled to appear on TV, her family would gather to watch.

“We watched all the variety of shows, and of course, I saw my father on TV. It seemed like once a week any one of those variety shows or specials would have him on. I had a lot of cousins around and that was just something that we enjoyed,” she said. “They would call him ‘Uncle Satchmo,’ and he was ‘Pops’ to me and Louis Armstrong to the world. Watching him perform, that was the enjoyable part. That’s the part that made me feel more connected to him.”

The secret nature of her relationship with Armstrong became more burdensome as Preston-Folta grew up, though.

“As I got older, it just became more difficult not understanding why when he got off camera, we didn't see him more,” she said.

When Preston-Folta pressed her mother for more details about Armstrong, she’d tell her daughter and other family members, “This is what it is.”

Shrouded in so much secrecy, Preston-Folta internalized feelings of shame and inadequacy, she said. “There were these feelings that I didn’t matter, that there was something wrong with me by telling my story, talking about where I came from.”

These feelings persisted into adulthood, especially after Armstrong died in 1971, and Preston-Folta and her mother were left out of his will.

“I had so many questions,” she said. “Why am I not part of his public legacy? Why did I have to be so secretive?”

About 12 years ago, she decided to explore her family roots and her ties to Armstrong, ultimately, writing and self-publishing a memoir, “Little Satchmo: Living in the Shadow of my Father Louis Daniel Armstrong.”

“I just went on a search to, you know, inside myself, to look at the life I had with him and my connection with him, and the relationship that my mother had with him and the letters and correspondence that she had from him,” she said.

Preston-Folta’s book and her mother’s letters from Armstrong became the backbone of her documentary. She’s since donated these letters, as well as photos and other items, to the Library of Congress.

As she explored her family’s story, sharing it with the world, she found inner peace and self-acceptance.

“I realized I had nothing to do with that (secrecy). That is just what happened. All these adults — my mother, my father, his wife, his manager, a whole team of people — made this decision to keep me a secret,” she said. “It was not my fault and I had nothing to do with it. What I do now, and what I make of my life now is on me. As I pieced together our story, the humanness of all of us came out. But it’s not my fault and I have no reason to be ashamed if that is what my life is.”

In recent years, as a senior account executive for WUSF, Preston-Folta got to know Lea Umberger, who has worked on films in various roles, including set and costume design, when they worked together on a festival in St. Petersburg. She gifted Umberger with a copy of her book.

A couple years later, in May 2019, Umberger called her unexpectedly after reading her memoir. She wanted to turn Preston-Folta’s story into a documentary, bringing in John Alexander as director and J.C. Guest to also produce the film. Preston-Folta serves as executive producer and narrates the story.

Much of the documentary was filmed during the pandemic. Because of this, other than a four-day, socially distanced shoot, most of the work was done remotely, including Preston-Folta recording her lines at home and all post-production work. They’ve been making the film festival circuit with the documentary since the fall.

Preston-Folta is excited to share her story with the world in a new way and hopes that others can learn from it.

“What’s important about me telling this story is that secrets can cause harm,” she said. “And this is definitely a way not only for me to heal, but you know, the opportunity and the platform that I have to tell my story just speaks volumes to not living in any kind of shame that you may have about who you are. Acknowledging who you are, warts and all, is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.”