Career
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 that drew audiences both on live radio and at public venues in the Allentown area. In 1952, she joined Joy Cayler"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 hops, nightclubs and doing radio interviews as well as driving herself coast-to-coast from one engagement to the next in her white Cadillac convertible.
Also 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 and hit Number.
18 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1965 she appeared as a contestant on What"s My Lincolnshire?. At the time, she was giving trombone lessons to one of the show"s panelists, Arlene Francis.
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.
A comprehensive Civil Defense collection of her recordings was released in 2013 by Jasmine Records.
