Lillian Briggs

Lillian Briggs (b. Lillian Biggs, June 3, 1932 - d. Apr. 11, 1998) was an American rockabilly musician. Briggs was raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In the early 1950s she worked as a truck driver and played trombone in Joy Cayler's All-Girl Orchestra. In 1952 Alan Freed asked her to appear in his New York City stage shows, and her popularity in these shows led to her signing with Epic Records in 1954. Her first single was 1955's "I Want You to Be My Baby"; the song sold over 1 million copies[1] and hit #18 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] Following this she appeared on The Tonight Show and The Steve Allen Show, and won a part in the 1961 Jerry Lewis movie The Ladies Man. Later singles, however, were unsuccessful, though she continued to record into the early 1970s. In 1965 she appeared as a contestant on What's My Line?, notable because at the time, she was giving trombone lessons to one of the show's panelists, Arlene Francis.[3] After her recording career ended, Briggs moved to Miami and became a partner in a resort; she was extremely successful as a businesswoman.[1] Her yacht, Monkey Business, was the boat upon which Gary Hart was photographed with Donna Rice, ending the former's presidential ambitions.[1] She died of lung cancer in Miami, April 11, 1998.[1]