Lillian Gordy Carter Lillian Gordy Carter Bessie Lillian Gordy Carter (August 15, 1898 – October 30, 1983) was the mother of former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter. She was also known for her contributions to nursing in her home state of Georgia and as a Peace Corps volunteer in India as well as writing two books during the Carter presidency. Carter was born Bessie Lillian Gordy on August 15, 1898 in Richland, Georgia, to James Jackson Gordy (1863–1948) and Mary Ida Nicholson Gordy (1871–1951). She was the niece of Berry Gordy, Sr., who was the paternal half-brother of James Jackson Gordy
Lillian Offitt Lillian Offitt Lillian Offitt (born November 4, 1937) is an American former blues and R&B singer. Born in Gallatin, Tennessee, 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, 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