| MY HEART: LIL HARDIN ARMSTRONG
Broadcast the week of 3/11/04
Lil Hardin was one of the most influential women in early jazz. At a time when women, especially black women, were relegated to being singers or dancers in a chorus line, Lil had a serious career as a jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader. Whenever Lil's name comes up these days, it's probably because of her famous last name. She became Lil Hardin Armstrong in 1924 when she married trumpeter Louis Armstrong while playing piano with King Oliver. Lillian Hardin was born in 1898 in Memphis. Her mother worked as a maid, but gave her kids a comfortable, and in some ways, a refined life. Lil's music training began at Mrs. Hicks School of Music. After three years of formal music study at Fisk University, Lil's family moved to Chicago in 1917. She found a job as a music demonstrator in Jones' Music Store, where she was invited to play with Sugar Johnny's Creole Orchestra. From there she went to Freddie Keppard's Original Creole Orchestra, and then led her own band at the Dreamland Cafe in Chicago. In 1921 she joined King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. The next year, Louis Armstrong joined the band. She wasn't impressed with Louis on first sight. In fact, she thought he was too fat and had a funny hairdo. Nonetheless, Louis and Lil were married within the year.
Lil is generally credited with persuading Louis to be more ambitious and leave King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. Lil was a major contributor to Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings. She played piano and sang occasionally, and composed several of the group's major songs including Struttin' with Some Barbecue and My Heart.
Lil was the leader of several other recording groups, including Lil's Hot Shots and the New Orleans Wanderers. She and Louis were separated in 1931 and were divorced in 1938, although they remained friends for life. Lil gained diplomas from the Chicago College of Music and the New York College of Music. She went on to lead bands in New York and performed in the Broadway revues Hot Chocolates and Shuffle Along. During the late 30s, she functioned as house pianist, composer, and vocalist for 46 Decca recording sessions. Lil moved back to Chicago in 1940 and worked mainly as a solo pianist and entertainer.
By the late 1960s, Lil began to back off from the music business. She spent more and more time at a home she and Louis had bought in the early years of their marriage in the lake resort town of Idlewild, Michigan. Then in July 1971, Louis Armstrong died. The following month Lil was invited to perform at a memorial concert for him in Chicago. Lil was playing St. Louis Blues on stage at the concert when she suddenly collapsed and died. Seven years later, a song by Lil Hardin Armstrong topped the pop charts all over the world. In 1978, Ringo Starr recorded her composition, Bad Boy. It was on the radio everywhere. No doubt, Lil would have enjoyed that immensely. ©2001 by Margaret Moos Pick |
 Here is a tune list for this show.
On the Web:
|
Photo courtesy of 
Left: Photo courtesy of the 
CDs:
Video:
