Born in Gallatin, Tennessee in 1938 (or 1937), she studied at Tennessee State University, and visited the offices of Nashboro Records in the hope of making a gospel record. The label owner, Ernie Young, suggested she record secular music instead, and her first record, "Miss You So", was issued on its subsidiary Excello label in 1957. It rose to number 8 on the Billboard R&B chart, and she turned professional, making appearances in Chicago and, later in the year, touring with Lowell Fulson, Johnny "Guitar" Watson and others. She moved to live in Chicago, where she performed in nightclubs and continued to release records, but with diminishing success. Biography, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 10 October 2016 J. C. Marion, "Miss You So : Lillian Offitt", Jamm Up, 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2016
