NEW ORLEANS — There will soon be a new fun road-trip destination in New Orleans, when the massive Riverboat Louis Armstrong opens for business on July 4.
Born in New Orleans in 1901, Louis Armstrong received his first musical training aboard the riverboats of the Crescent City, soon becoming one of the most successful musicians of all time.
The riverboat is a labor of love for Warren Reuther, president and CEO of Hospitality Enterprises New Orleans. His company also owns and operates the paddlewheeler Creole Queen, which takes passengers out on the Mississippi River on two scheduled runs every day.
Reuther recalls hearing and reading about Armstrong when he was a teenager hopping aboard one of the Streckfus Steamers as a deckhand and scurrying to sneak among the jazz musicians for a chance to play his trumpet with them.
“When Louis Armstrong was 14, he couldn’t play in the bars in New Orleans,” Reuther said. “He would take his trumpet down to the dock at the foot of Canal Street and he would work his way into the band.”
The Louis Armstrong, which has a listed passenger capacity of 3,000 people, triple that of the Creole Queen, will not have the same regular schedule.
“We probably won’t use the boat for 3,000,” Reuther said. “We’re hoping for 1,500-2,000. Because of the size of this boat, it will be used for conventions and meeting and concerts. Every Sunday we’re going to do a gospel jazz brunch. On July 4, we’re going to take it out for a fireworks cruise.”
Reuther said the boat will also be open to the public for special events like New Year’s Eve and Friday night moonlight cruises.
The boat previously served as a floating casino operated by Tropicana Entertainment in Evansville, Ind., and was refitted and remodeled at a dry dock in Amelia, in St. Mary Parish. The boat is now just a few finishing touches away from being unveiled.
Its new home will be the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
In addition to its entertainment space, the riverboat will dedicate its third level to a foundation room with historic photos and highlights honoring the memory of Satchmo and his musical legacy.
Reuther said the final schedule of concerts and events for the opening of the boat will be finalized in the next couple of weeks.
Staff Writer Scott Yoshonis can be reached at 850-1148 or syoshonis@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @Foster_Cajun.
