Armstrong, Lil Hardin (1898-1971), was an African American jazz pianist, bandleader, singer, and composer. She is best known as the wife of the jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Lil played piano on her husband’s classic Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings from 1925 to 1927. Lil is credited with composing several jazz classics made famous by Louis. They include “King of the Zulus,” “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue,” and “Hotter Than That.”
Lillian Hardin was born on Feb. 3, 1898, in Memphis, Tennessee. She studied at Fisk University in Nashville before moving in 1917 to Chicago, where she performed in jazz groups. In 1922, she met Louis Armstrong while both were playing in King Oliver’s band in Chicago. The two married in 1924. They separated in 1931 and divorced in 1938. Lil pursued her own career in music during the 1930’s, leading both all-male and all-female jazz bands. 
From 1936 to 1940, Lil led several recording sessions, playing with such jazz stars as trumpeter Joe Thomas, trombonist J. C. Higginbotham, tenor saxophonist Chu Berry, and clarinetist Buster Bailey. She sang on many of the recordings and performed several of her own compositions, including “Brown Gal,” “My Hi-De-Ho Man,” “Just for a Thrill,” and “Born to Swing.” She also provided piano accompaniment on recordings by many blues and pop singers, including Alberta Hunter, Blue Lu Barker, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Rosetta Howard.
During the 1940’s, Lil worked as a solo pianist in Chicago. She performed in Paris and London during the 1950’s, recording with jazz clarinetist and saxophonist player Sidney Bechet in Paris in 1952 and touring with him in 1953 and 1954. She later returned to Chicago. Lil suffered a fatal heart attack on Aug. 27, 1971, while performing in a memorial concert for Louis Armstrong, who had died on July 6 of that year.
See also Armstrong, Louis .
