Lil Hardin Armstrong – The Musical Star from the Tennessee City

Popularly known as “Mrs. Armstrong”, Lil Hardin was more than just being a wife to the jazz legend Louis Armstrong in the music fraternity. She reached a level of success that was considered unattainable for most African-American women of those times. With her inspiring success story, Lil has paved the way for female singers of her next generation to chase their dream of becoming music stars in the 1930s and 1940s. As a singer, composer, and bandleader, she led women who sought inroads in jazz and big band music in the USA.

Keen to play instruments since her childhood days, Lil was considered a born performer. Having seen her interest in music, her mother enrolled Lil in a music school. Most of you must have known Lil for her successful collaborations with her second husband, but there was more to this female music personality. In this blog, we bring to light the lesser-known facts about her life. So let us begin.

Childhood Days in Memphis

That Lil Hardin learned to play hymns, classical, and spiritual songs on the piano showed her interest in music since her tender years. In this regard, her grandmother played a pivotal role who introduced Lil to this form of music, thereby triggering and manifesting her passion for music. However, as she grew, Lil developed a penchant for popular jazz and blues music. Although her enrolment at Fisk University helped Lil gain a deeper insight into music, it was her relocation to Chicago that propelled her to make a career out of it. Resting their faith in Lil and her abilities, her mother and step-father allowed her to launch a full-time musical career based in the ‘Windy City.

Pinnacle of Success in Chicago

It was only after three weeks in Chicago that Lil joined New Orleans Creole Band led by Lawrence Duhé as a clarinetist. While playing at several avenues and growing as an artist, Lil got the golden opportunity of being a part of King Oliver’s jazz band. Even though the band failed to be commercially successful, it played an instrumental role in helping Lil meet Louis Armstrong, her second husband. Playing trumpets second to his master King Oliver, Louis Armstrong was heavily influenced by Lil to perform independently of Oliver. When on one hand Armstrong flew to New York for joining Fletcher Henderson’s band, Hardin established her all-girls big band and played regularly at Chicago’s Dreamland Café.

Upon Armstrong’s return to Chicago, the couple was offered a monumental break by Okeh Records to make the “Hot Five” recordings with Hardin playing the piano, Johnny Dodds on the clarinet, Johnny St. Cyr playing the banjo, and Kid Ory on the trombone. The recording became one of the jazz standards and popularly requested and played on all leading big band radio stations of those times.

Solo Work and Later Years

Along with boosting Armstrong’s career, Lil worked and flourished as a great musical artist herself. Do you know an interesting fact? The track “Doin’ the Suzie Q” by Lil explains how a particular step from the novelty dance is performed. So, it’s basically from this song the step got its name “Suzie Q”. No one knows the exact origin of this word, but Lil was rightly credited for naming and popularising the dance step among the audience.

Not only did Lil lead her band, but she also recorded as a jazz and swing vocalist for Decca Records. Added to that, Lil was a piano accompanist for several other singers. Even after her divorce from Armstrong in 1938, Lil continued as a successful soloist and pianist. But later she decided to take a break from her music career and try her hands in tailoring. Even though she began writing her autobiography, the work never reached completion because she died before that.

Closing Thoughts – We can never deny Lil Hardin’s contributions to enriching swing and big band music in the USA. Of course, she was a phenomenal influence on the musicians of the new generation. Also, if it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have discovered the musical might of Louis Armstrong. Whether you want to listen to their collab songs or single hits of Hardin, you may send in your request only on Swing Street Radio.