Biography
Born November 4, 1938, in Nashville, Tennessee, Lillian Offit recorded just six sides that revealed her as an unadorned yet energetic blues vocalist whose modest physical presence matched her abilities. While still a college student, she approached Nashboro Records seeking to cut a gospel session. Ernie Young, the label’s proprietor, steered her toward popular songs instead, resulting in the 1957 Excello release of “Miss You So.” Its modest sales prompted her to abandon her studies for a career in music, though the pair of follow-up singles that appeared failed to match its performance. Relocating to Chicago in 1958, she joined Earl Hooker’s ensemble as the featured vocalist at Robert’s Show Lounge. Hooker introduced her to Chief Records owner Me London, for whom she waxed her debut side in February 1960. The track “Will My Man Be Home Tonight,” spotlighting Hooker’s distinctive slide work, found favor locally in Chicago. Subsequent efforts “My Man I A Lover,” cut that May, and “Troubles,” laid down twelve months later, mirrored the declining fortunes of her earlier Excello output. Opting to raise a family, she stepped away from performing and thus missed the chance to appear on the 1964 American Folk Blues Festival tour, a slot that went instead to Sugar Pie DeSanto. Her final known appearance came in 1974 with the Streakers Rated-X Revue in St. Joseph, Michigan.
Albums
