Lillian Briggs
Encyclopedia
Lillian Briggs was an American rock 'n roll performer and musician.
Lillian Briggs was the first woman to achieve super-star status at the dawn of rock 'n roll in the early 1950's, as evidenced by the fact that soon after embarking upon her career, she was named "The Queen of Rock & Roll" by The Sydney Morning Herald during the same period that the media began referring to Elvis Presley as the "King" of the new musical genre.
Briggs was raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania
. In the early 1950s she worked as a laundry truck driver to support herself and finance The Downbeats, a band she formed which drew audiences both on live radio and at public venues in the Allentown area.
In 1952, she joined Joy Caylor's All-Girl Orchestra as a singer and trombonist. Two years later, appearing with Caylor's Orchestra at The Arcadia Ballroom in New York City, she performed a rousing version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll
" and was discovered by celebrity manager/talent scout, Jack Petrill. As a preferred client of Petrill, her solo career was launched. Briggs made her presence known on the touring circuit by working non-stop at sock hop
s, nightclub
s and doing radio interviews as well as driving herself coast-to-coast from one engagement to the next in her white Cadillac
convertible. Also, 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 and hit #18 on the Billboard Hot 100
. During the peak of her career (1954-1964) she headlined at concert venues around the world, starred at the Las Vegas hotels and appeared on countless TV shows including Jack Paar
's Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show
, American Bandstand
and The Steve Allen Show
, and won a part in the 1961 Jerry Lewis
movie The Ladies Man
. Lillian Briggs also recorded several songs on the soundtracks of three Hollywood films: The Fugitive Kind, Mr. Wonderful and My Sister Eileen. In 1965 she appeared as a contestant on What's My Line?
; at the time, she was giving trombone lessons to one of the show's panelists, Arlene Francis
.
Lillian continued to record on Sunbeam, Paramount
, Coral
and Phillips while touring extensively until the early 1970's when she relocated to Miami Beach to become a co-partner in Turnberry Isle, a lucrative mixed-use luxury condominium resort. She was extremely successful as a businesswoman. Her yacht
, Monkey Business, was the boat upon which Gary Hart
was photographed with Donna Rice
, ending the former's presidential ambitions. She died of lung cancer
in Miami, April 11, 1998.
Lillian Briggs was the first woman to achieve super-star status at the dawn of rock 'n roll in the early 1950's, as evidenced by the fact that soon after embarking upon her career, she was named "The Queen of Rock & Roll" by The Sydney Morning Herald during the same period that the media began referring to Elvis Presley as the "King" of the new musical genre.
Briggs was raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. In the early 1950s she worked as a laundry truck driver to support herself and finance The Downbeats, a band she formed which drew audiences both on live radio and at public venues in the Allentown area.
In 1952, she joined Joy Caylor's All-Girl Orchestra as a singer and trombonist. Two years later, appearing with Caylor's Orchestra at The Arcadia Ballroom in New York City, she performed a rousing version of "Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake, Rattle and Roll
"Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a prototypical twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, and most successfully by Bill Haley & His Comets...
" and was discovered by celebrity manager/talent scout, Jack Petrill. As a preferred client of Petrill, her solo career was launched. Briggs made her presence known on the touring circuit by working non-stop at sock hop
Sock Hop
The sock hop was an informal sponsored dance at American high schools, typically held in the high school's own gym or cafeteria. The term sock hop came about because dancers were required to remove their shoes to protect the varnished floor of the gymnasium. These hops were a cultural feature of...
s, nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s and doing radio interviews as well as driving herself coast-to-coast from one engagement to the next in her white Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
convertible. Also, 1952, Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
asked her to appear in his New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
stage shows, and her popularity in these shows led to her signing with Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1954.
Her first single was 1955's "I Want You to Be My Baby
I Want You to Be My Baby
I Want You to Be My Baby is a jump blues song written by Jon Hendricks for Louis Jordan whose recording - made 28 May 1953 - was an R&B hit that autumn....
"; the song sold over 1 million copies and hit #18 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. During the peak of her career (1954-1964) she headlined at concert venues around the world, starred at the Las Vegas hotels and appeared on countless TV shows including Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
's Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
, American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
, and won a part in the 1961 Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
movie The Ladies Man
The Ladies Man
The Ladies Man is a 1961 American comedy film directed by and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on June 28, 1961 by Paramount.-Plot:...
. Lillian Briggs also recorded several songs on the soundtracks of three Hollywood films: The Fugitive Kind, Mr. Wonderful and My Sister Eileen. In 1965 she appeared as a contestant on What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
; at the time, she was giving trombone lessons to one of the show's panelists, Arlene Francis
Arlene Francis
Arlene Francis was an American actress, radio talk show host, and game show panelist...
.
Lillian continued to record on Sunbeam, Paramount
Paramount Records
Paramount Records was an American record label, best known for its recordings of African-American jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey and Blind Lemon Jefferson.-Early years:...
, Coral
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
and Phillips while touring extensively until the early 1970's when she relocated to Miami Beach to become a co-partner in Turnberry Isle, a lucrative mixed-use luxury condominium resort. She was extremely successful as a businesswoman. Her yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
, Monkey Business, was the boat upon which Gary Hart
Gary Hart
Gary Hart is an American politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator. He served as a Democratic Senator representing Colorado , and ran in the U.S...
was photographed with Donna Rice
Donna Rice
Donna Rice Hughes is the president and chair of Enough Is Enough, an American non-profit organization in the anti-pornography movement that seeks to make the Internet safer for families and children...
, ending the former's presidential ambitions. She died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Miami, April 11, 1998.