In 1953, at the age of 16, she met Harold Johnson, John Wilson and Norman "Polecat" Brown at a party; they were singing in harmony, and she joined in.

One song from this period, "Smoke From Your Cigarette", was played regularly on Alan Freed's radio show and made the New York R&B Top 10 list in 1955.

Then in 1984 she was persuaded to rejoin the Mellows, with a new lineup that included Arthur Crier, Eugene Tompkins,[1] and Gary Morrison (who was later replaced by Sammy Fain).

The group performed at a variety of venues over the next twenty years, including Radio City Music Hall in 1984 and the Apollo Theater in 1987.

[4] Leach's last public performance was in 2006, backed by the Cliftonaires, at a United in Group Harmony Association (UGHA) show.

[6] Rock musician Lou Reed, a lifelong doo-wop fan, was enthusiastic in his praise of Leach and the Mellows.

In a 2011 Rolling Stone article, Reed included "Smoke From Your Cigarette" at the top of his list of favorite songs, adding, "Lillian Leach has a beautiful, sad voice, like a femme fatale.