She [pianist Lillian Hardin] knew Chicago like a book. I'll never forget the first time Lil took me to the Dreamland Cabaret on Thirty-fifth and State Streets to hear Ollie Powers and Mae Alix sing. Ollie had one of those high, sweet singing voices, and when he would sing songs like "What'll I Do?" he would really rock the whole house. Mae Alix had one of those fine, strong voices that everyone would also want to hear. Then she would go into her splits, and the customers would throw paper dollars on the floor, and she would make one of those running splits, picking them up one at a time.