together until Martin's death in 1979. Around this time, both Armstrong and Bogan were contacted by the filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, a fan of their recording "State Street Rag". Zwigoff's interest in Armstrong eventually blossomed into a one-hour documentary, Louie Bluie, released in 1985. He was also the subject of the 2002 documentary Sweet Old Song. Armstrong was a recipient of a 1990 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Later life He continued to perform with a younger generation of musicians and released his first solo album, Louie Bluie, in collaboration with Ralphe Armstrong and Ray Kamalay in 1995. The album earned him a W.C. Handy Blues Award nomination for Acoustic Album. Armstrong was also an expert painter, designing album covers for his group and occasionally for other artists, including Wald. He designed the juke joint set for the 1985 Oscar-nominated film version of The Color Purple. He also made necklaces from beads, pipe cleaners and found objects. He spoke several languages; on a recording of the song "Chinatown, My Chinatown" he sang one of the verses in Mandarin, having translated it from English. He died in Boston, Massachusetts, aged 94, following a heart attack. Legacy The Louie Bluie Festival, held each year at Cove Lake State Park near Armstrong's childhood home of LaFollette, celebrates his music and legacy. Discography Louie Bluie (Blue Suit Records, 1995) Louie Bluie (Arhoolie Records, 1985) Martin, Bogan, & The Armstrongs: That Old Gang Of Mine (Flying Fish, 1978) Martin, Bogan & Armstrong: Martin, Bogan & Armstrong (Flying Fish, 1974) Martin, Bogan & Armstrong: The Barnyard Dance (Rounder Records, 1973) Filmography Louie Bluie (1985), directed by Terry Zwigoff Sweet Old Song (2002), directed by Leah Mahan Awards and honors 1990 – National Heritage Fellowship 1996 – W.C. Handy Blues Award nomination for Acoustic Album: Howard Armstrong, Ralphe Armstrong, & Ray Kamalay – Louie Bluie 2000 – W.C. Handy Blues Award nomination for Blues Instrumentalist - Other (Violin) 2003 – W.C. Handy Blues Award nomination for Blues Instrumentalist - Other (Mandolin) 2003 – Tennessee Governor's Award in the Arts References External links Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival Louie Bluie (1985) on IMDb Louie Bluie: Something Old, New, Borrowed and Bluie essay on The Criterion Collection Sweet Old Song (2002) on IMDb 1909 births 2003 deaths People from