I feel that if it wasn't for Lil, Louis [Armstrong] would not be where he is today. She inspired him to do bigger and better things. Lil is the cause of Louis leaving Joe Oliver's band, where he was playing second trumpet, and going out for himself, and thereby gaining a little recognition. At that time, Lil and Louis were pianist and cornetist, respectively, with Joe Oliver.

Now I will tell you of my first experience with Lil. I first saw her demonstrating music at Jones Music Store in Chicago. Lil was just a young miss then but how she could swing, yes, I mean swing, no ragtime. [... S]he only received three dollars a week on her first job, but I knew she wouldn't be there long, no, man, not with all that piano she was swinging. One month later she joined the New Orleans Creole Jazz Band with such men as Freddie Keppard, Ed Garland, Paul Barbarian, Jimmie Noone, and Eddie Vincent. Man, Lil didn't know how much she could swing.