Treasure Trove Of Louis Armstrong Letters To Mistress And Secret Daughter To Be Sold

Jazz great _Louis _Armstrong's love letters to his mistress and secret lovechild are among the items from the musician's archive that will go under the hammer at an auction in Los _A_ngeles in December (12).

Profiles in History boss Joe Maddalena recently announced _A_rmstrong's personal letters would be up for grabs at the Drama, _A_ction, Romance - The Hollywood _A_uction on 15 and 16 December, alongside correspondence from John Lennon, Cole Porter and composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and now it's clear the What a Wonderful World hitmaker's items are a treasure trove of secret notes.

A spokesperson for the auction house says, "They are dated from 1946 to 1968. The collection includes personal letters and postcards, written to Lucille 'Sweets' Preston and Sharon, _A_rmstrong's only biological child.

"_A_rmstrong was friends with Preston and her husband, entertainer Luther 'Slim' Preston, who passed away in 1950. Soon after, _A_rmstrong and Lucille began a relationship and their daughter Sharon was born in 1954. The relationship continued until _A_rmstrong's death in 1971. _A_rmstrong's wife, also named Lucille, never publicly acknowledged Sharon's existence.

"There are handwritten letters totalling 27 pages, typed and signed letters totalling 10 pages, handwritten postcards and a single photograph signed 'Satchmo' and 'Louis _A_rmstrong' inscribed to 'Mother Sweets Baby Sharon To My Darlings whom I Love.'"

The items going under the hammer also include an original private audio reel, featuring a recording from 1959 when _A_rmstrong was in Berlin, Germany. On the tape, _A_rmstrong sings Uncle Satchmo's Lullaby with 12-year-old German singer Gabriele.

The lot is estimated at $60,000 (£37,500) to $80,000 (£50,000).