Lil Hardin Armstrong Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lil Hardin Armstrong
Armstrong in 1944
Background information
Birth name	Lillian Hardin
Born	(1898-02-03)February 3, 1898 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	August 27, 1971(1971-08-27) (aged 73) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician composer bandleader singer
Instruments	Piano, vocals

Armstrong during her visit to Israel, April 1959

Lillian Hardin Armstrong (born February 3, 1898 – died August 27, 1971) was an amazing American jazz musician. She played the piano, wrote music, arranged songs, sang, and led her own bands. She was also the second wife of the famous jazz musician Louis Armstrong. They worked together on many recordings in the 1920s.

Lil wrote many popular jazz songs. Some of her well-known compositions include "Struttin' with Some Barbecue" and "Just for a Thrill." "Just for a Thrill" became a big hit when Ray Charles sang it in 1959. Another song, "Bad Boy", was a hit for Ringo Starr in 1978. In 2014, Armstrong was honored by being added to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings
- Learning to Play the Piano
- Joining a Jazz Band
Meeting Louis Armstrong
Later Years and Solo Work
- A New Path and Return to Music
Death and Legacy
Images for kids
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Lillian Hardin was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up with her grandmother, Priscilla Martin, who had been a slave. Her grandmother moved the family to Memphis from Mississippi. Lil's mother, Dempsey, married Will Harden, and Lil was born in 1898. Her father died when she was seven.

From a young age, Lil learned to play the piano. She was taught hymns, spirituals, and classical music. But she was especially drawn to popular music and later, the blues.

Learning to Play the Piano

Lil's first piano teacher was Violet White, her third-grade teacher. Later, her mother enrolled her in Mrs. Hook's School of Music. She continued her advanced training at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, a college for African Americans. Lil earned a diploma from Fisk and returned to Memphis in 1917.

In August 1918, Lil moved to Chicago with her mother and stepfather. By then, she was very good at reading sheet music. This skill helped her get a job demonstrating music at Jones Music Store.

Joining a Jazz Band

The music store paid Lil $3 a week. But then, bandleader Lawrence Duhé offered her $22.50 a week to play in his band! Lil knew her mother wouldn't approve of her working in a cabaret (a type of club). So, she told her mother she was playing for a dancing school.

Lil was well-educated in music, which was different from some of the other musicians in Duhé's band. They were from New Orleans and played by ear. When she asked what key they would play in, they would say, "We don't know what key. When you hear two knocks start playing."

After three weeks, the band moved to a better club called the De Luxe Café. Later, they moved to Dreamland. When King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band took over at Dreamland, Oliver asked Lil to stay and play with his band. She even traveled with Oliver's band to San Francisco in 1921. After that, Lil returned to Chicago. She later continued her studies at the New York College of Music, earning another diploma in 1929.

Meeting Louis Armstrong

In Chicago, Lil went back to working at Dreamland. She played piano in an orchestra led by Mae Brady. While there, she met Jimmie Johnson, a singer, and they got married in 1922. However, this marriage did not last long.

King Oliver's band returned to Chicago and was very popular. Oliver then asked Louis Armstrong to join his band as a second cornet player. Louis was becoming famous in New Orleans and looked up to Oliver.

A New Romance

At first, Lil was not impressed with Louis. She thought his clothes and hairstyle were "too country" for Chicago. But she decided to help him "take the country out of him." Soon, a romance grew between them, surprising other band members.

Lil and Louis needed to end their previous marriages. They were married on February 5, 1924. The Defender newspaper noted that Lil wore a beautiful "Parisian gown" for the wedding.

Helping Louis's Career

Lil helped Louis change his style and look more fashionable. She also encouraged him to improve his musical skills. She felt he was not using his full talent by playing a secondary role in Oliver's band.

Lil convinced Louis to manage his own money and to be more confident on stage. Eventually, she persuaded him to leave Oliver's band and start his own career. Louis left Oliver's band in September 1924 and took a job in New York City. Lil stayed in Chicago, first with Oliver, then leading her own band.

When Lil's band got a job at the Dreamland Café in Chicago, she prepared for Louis's return. She had a huge banner made that read "The World's Greatest Trumpet Player."

The Hot Five Recordings

A record producer named Richard M. Jones convinced Okeh Records to record a series of sessions under Louis Armstrong's name. These became known as the famous "Hot Five" recordings. Lil played the piano in this group. Other members included Kid Ory on trombone, Johnny Dodds on clarinet, and Johnny St. Cyr on banjo. They practiced at Lil and Louis's home in Chicago. Their first recording session was on November 15, 1925.

Later Years and Solo Work

In the late 1920s, Lil and Louis grew apart. Louis formed a new Hot Five band with Earl Hines on piano. Lil then formed her own band with Freddie Keppard. Lil and Louis separated in 1931 and later divorced in 1938.

In the 1930s, Lil sometimes called herself "Mrs. Louis Armstrong" for her performances. She led an "All Girl Orchestra" and also a mixed-sex big band. These bands were broadcast across the country on the NBC radio network. She also recorded for Decca Records as a swing singer and played piano for other singers.

A New Path and Return to Music

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Lil mostly performed alone, singing and playing piano. She even decided to try a new career as a tailor. She took a tailoring course, and her final project was making a tuxedo for Louis Armstrong.

Lil returned to Chicago and her home on East 41st Street. She traveled to Europe and had a brief romance in France. But mostly, she worked around Chicago with other musicians like Red Saunders and Joe Williams.

In the 1950s, Lil recorded a story about her life for Riverside Records. In 1961, she was part of a project called Chicago: The Living Legends. This led to her being featured in a 1961 NBC TV special, Chicago and All That Jazz. In 1962, she started writing her autobiography, but she paused the project because she didn't want to upset Louis Armstrong. She passed away before finishing the book.

Death and Legacy

Armstrong's grave (top row, third from left) at Lincoln Cemetery

When Louis Armstrong died in 1971, Lil traveled to New York for his funeral. She rode in the family car. After returning to Chicago, she felt she could continue writing her autobiography. However, the next month, while performing at a televised memorial concert for Louis, she collapsed at the piano. She died from a heart attack on the way to the hospital. After her funeral, her letters and the unfinished book disappeared from her house.

Lil Hardin Armstrong was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. In 2004, a community park in Chicago was renamed in her honor.

Her song "Bad Boy" became an international pop hit when Ringo Starr recorded it in 1978. Another of her compositions, "Oriental Swing," was used by musician Parov Stelar to create the song "Booty Swing" in 2012. This song became very famous when it was used in a Chevrolet commercial in 2013.