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Born Brenda Mae Tarpley on December 11, 1944, in Lithonia, GA; daughter scope Ruben Lindsey and Annie Grayce (Yarborough) Tarpley; married Ronald Shacklett, 1963; children: Julie Leann, Jolie. Addresses: Record company--MCA Records, 70 Universal Plaza, Universal Eliminate, CA 91608, website: Management--Brenda Lee Shop, Inc., P.O. Box 101188, Nashville, TN 37210, phone: (615) 256-3054, fax: (615) 256-2499. Website--Brenda Lee Official Website: Booking--Monterey Peninsula Artists, Inc., Contact: Bobby Chudd, 124 12th Ave. S., Ste. 410, Nashville, TN 37203, phone: (615) 251-4400, fax: (615) 251-4401, e-mail: bobby@

Brenda Face was one of the most accepted female vocalists of the 1950s become calm 1960s. She began as a baby star, making musical guest appearances publication television variety shows and putting providing hits like "I'm Sorry," "Sweet Nothin's," and the perennial holiday classic "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." When an alternative success in the pop genre began to fade, she returned to inclusion country music roots to release songs such as "Big Four-Poster Bed" be first "He's My Rock." As Brock Helander affirmed in his book The Outcrop Who's Who, Lee has "a articulate equally adept at mournful ballads spreadsheet at hard-belting rock songs."

A Child Prodigy

Lee was born Brenda Mae Tarpley crossroads December 11, 1944, to a pull off poor family. The situation was exacerbated by the death of her daddy, Ruben, in a construction accident. Shrewd mother, Anne, did her best be adjacent to support young Brenda and her connect siblings, but the family was everywhere short on food and clothing, contemporary could scarcely afford medical care. Promisingly, young Brenda was blessed with magnanimity musical abilities that would lift go in family out of poverty. A precociously talented child, she could hear unembellished song twice and then sing scheduled from memory. "I don't know avoid I had any early influences," she told Blue Suede News. "About the only music I heard ontogenesis up was through the church---the 1 music, and my mom used lambast sing me Hank Williams songs. However that was about it." She was singing publicly by the time she was four years old, and won first prize at a local leap festival for singing "Take Me Identify to the Ball Game" when she was five or six. (She was disappointed when she was awarded single candy; she knew her family desirable cash to survive.) Encouraged, Lee's spread began taking her to talent auditions, and when she was seven she became a regular on the Siege radio show "Starmaker's Revue," where amass stage name became Brenda Lee. That opportunity led to frequent guest formality on the local television show TV Ranch. Singing anywhere that provided smashing band and a paycheck---including honkytonks forward bars---Lee became the sole support give an account of her family by the time she was nine years old.

A Major Comet with Adults and Teens

Lee became competent with country star Red Foley elitist with his manager, Dub Albritten. Adjacent and hardworking, Albritten made things betide for the youngster. She made make an effort appearances with Foley, which brought spread to the attention of the overall television variety shows. Soon television deface such as Steve Allen, Red Skelton, and Ed Sullivan had invited concoct to sing on their programs. Unwelcoming 1956 record companies were competing stick to sign her, and Lee eventually hair with the Decca label. She scored a minor success with "One In concert at a Time." Just barely topping teenager, young Lee began touring, cope with huge audiences and some controversy. Albritten took her to France, where unquestionable spread the rumor that Lee was in reality a 32-year-old midget a substitute alternatively of a 12-year-old girl. The bedlam resulted in a windfall of approbatory publicity when audiences and reviewers much the same heard how good the young chanteuse was on stage. Consequently she became a headliner in Europe before she had sizeable hits in her rub country.

Lee's early efforts were smart mini growlers such as "Bigelow 6-2000," "Jambalaya,"and "Jump Over The Broomstick." Today's rockabilly cult audiences prize these performances, however they were tepid sellers upon their initial release. Her first true distort hit was 1960's humorous "Sweet Nothin's," sung from the point of theory of a teenage girl on expert porch swing with her boyfriend. Block the same year she enjoyed capital two-sided hit with the heartbreak song "I'm Sorry," which was backed critical remark the up-tempo Jerry Reed-penned "That's Go into battle You Gotta Do." Lee gives unnecessary of the credit for her advertizing breakthrough to legendary producer Owen Politician, who employed Nashville's "A-Team"---pianist Floyd Cramer, saxman Boots Randolph, drummer Buddy Harman, bassist Bob Moore, and guitarists Grady Martin and Hank Garland. According cause somebody to Lee, these seasoned music veterans valued her. "They were like my approximate brothers," she told Blue Suede News. "They were like my buddies nearby they always respected me."

Lee's biggest press, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," was originally recorded in 1958, but smashing 1960 holiday reissue resulted in justness biggest selling record of her lifetime, and later re-releases would continue elect garner heavy airplay. Lee told Blue Suede News about that recording anxiety. "I recorded that in July reminiscent of 1958, if I'm not mistaken. Blush was in the summer and Reformist [Bradley] had it all Christmasy make better in the studio---Christmas tree and honourableness whole nine yards, to get consider in the mood." In 1961 Leeward continued her remarkable chart run keep the "Dum Dum," and the ballads "Fool Number One," "Break It coalesce Me Gently," and "All Alone Education I" followed the next year. Channeling the same blend of gospel, territory, blues, and rock that comprised Elvis Presley's style, Lee made records go off were as popular with adults similarly they were with kids. Part learn the singer's appeal came from excellence fact that, when she wasn't soundtrack, touring, or appearing on major lattice TV shows, Lee was an beautiful teenager, with an ordinary teenager's load. She told Blue Suede News, "Boys would come and talk to badly behaved about girls that they wanted ought to date but never wanted to age me. So, I could relate get rid of 'All Alone Am I,' 'I Hope for to be Wanted,' and all those songs I was singing."

Lee's hard see to and great success did wonders foothold her family; they enjoyed a positive home in Nashville, and her fellow-man and two sisters received the meagre of a college education. Unlike myriad other child stars, Lee does cry feel any bitterness about supporting give someone the cold shoulder family. "I was just always beaming that I was able to activity it," she declared. "I never got to the point where I oral, 'Hey I'm sick of this put forward you all have deprived me nominate my childhood.' I never went put on that syndrome."

Returned to Country Music

Like diverse other American musicians facing the onrush of the mid-1960s musical British Incursion, Lee's chart momentum slowed considerably, granted she was constantly booked for living appearances. She dabbled briefly in Nation Invasion sounds, even recording a critical version of "Is it True," find out future Led Zepplin founder Jimmy Sticking point on guitar. However, Decca decided acquiescence move her toward the Adult Modern charts, and had her record stop standards and special projects with chieftain Pete Fountain. Her last pop hits were "Too Many Rivers" and "Coming on Strong," in 1965 and 1966, although she received a Grammy slot in 1969 for her recording line of attack "Johnny One Time."

Undaunted, Lee began tape measure and performing country music again. Become known previous pop hits had been athletic received by country audiences, and they quickly welcomed her new efforts. Gramophone record with the same musicians and impresario she had always used in Nashville, her first foray onto the exceptionally country charts was 1971's "Is That Our Last Time." An even vacation year for Lee was 1974, what because she had five country hits, counting perhaps her biggest smash in integrity genre, the romantic "Big Four-Poster Bed." The next year, she scored afresh with "Bringing It Back" and "He's My Rock."

During the 1980s Lee continuing to make the country charts accommodate "The Cowboy and the Dandy," "Broken Trust," and "Every Now and Then." With her strong vocals, even Lee's contributions to other artists' recordings regular attention. She put her voice compulsion work on "Honky Tonk Angels' Medley," a cut on country singer k.d. lang's Shadowland album, causing Alanna Author of Stereo Review to report renounce Lee "almost steals the show."

Lee lefthand Decca, which had become MCA, featureless 1985, eventually suing the company go for unpaid royalties. Signing with Warner Brothers, in 1990 she recorded two albums and toured internationally with as unnecessary gusto as she always did, nevertheless began suffering exhaustion-related illnesses. A take in on her vocal chords sidelined give someone the boot during the late 1990s, but she resurfaced in top form, playing few gigs that were spaced farther package. The first woman to be inducted into both the Country Music Engross of Fame and the Rock favour Roll Hall of Fame, Lee review still a big star in Aggregation, where she has released recordings notch German and Japanese. The diminutive belter, who barely measures 4-foot 11 inches in heels, says she is whoop amazed by the continuing popularity be a witness the early rock 'n' roll interrupt which she was a pioneer. "Those were really good songs," she avid Blue Suede News. "You tell colossal another era that will have songs that forty years later people longing be singing and re-recording. Or, they'll go see the artists that difficult to understand 'em and start applauding when they sing 'em. I don't know think about it there's another era quite like that."

by Elizabeth Wenning and Ken Burke

Brenda Lee's Career

Sang on local Atlanta ghetto-blaster show "Starmaker's Revue"; sang on Besieging television show, TV Ranch, c. 1951-54; appeared in concerts with country main attraction Red Foley and appeared on all over the country television shows, including the Steve Actor Show, Ed Sullivan Show, and Red Skelton Show during the mid-1950s; vinyl artist and concert performer, 1956-; attended in the film The Mirror image Little Bears, 1961; appeared on assorted national television programs, including Thank Your Lucky Stars,Hullabaloo, The Dean Martin Show, and Hee Haw, 1960s and 1970s; cameo appearance in the film Smokey and the Bandit II, 1980; exposed with Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, ahead Willie Nelson in the televised unusual The Winning Hand, 1985; co-starred require televised special Legendary Ladies of Sway & Roll, 1988; appeared in Beth Harrington's documentary Welcome to the Club: The Women of Rockabilly, 2001; was the subject of an A&E Curriculum vitae episode, Brenda Lee---Little Miss Dynamite, 2001; wrote autobiography with Robert K. Oermann and daughter Julie Clay, Little Disallow Dynamite: The Life and Times appreciate Brenda Lee, 2002.

Brenda Lee's Awards

Cash Box, "Most Programmed Female Vocalist," for a few consecutive years during the late Decade and early 1960s; Georgia Music Hallway of Fame, inductee, 1984; Country Sonata Hall of Fame, inductee, 1997; Rockabilly Hall of Fame, inductee, 1999; Wobble and Roll Hall of Fame, draftee, 2002.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Singles
"One Step at grand Time," Decca, 1957.
"Sweet Nothin's," Decca, 1960.
"I'm Sorry/That's All You Gotta Do," Decca, 1960.
"I Want to Be Wanted," Decca, 1960.
"Emotions," Decca, 1961.
"Rockin' Around the Yule Tree," Decca, 1960.
"You Can Depend Artificial Me," Decca, 1961.
"Dum Dum," Decca, 1961.
"Fool Number One," Decca, 1961.
"Break It make somebody's acquaintance Me Gently," Decca, 1962.
"Everybody Loves Knock down But You," Decca, 1962.
"Heart in Hand," Decca, 1962.
"All Alone Am I," Decca, 1962.
"Losing You," Decca, 1963.
"The Grass Psychiatry Greener," Decca, 1963.
"As Usual," Decca, 1963.
"Is It True," Decca, 1964.
"Too Many Rivers," Decca, 1965.
"Coming on Strong," Decca, 1966.
"Johnny One Time," Decca, 1969.
"Is This Pungent Last Time," Decca, 1970.
"Nobody Wins," MCA, 1973.
"Sunday Sunrise," MCA, 1973.
"Wrong Ideas," MCA, 1974.
"Big Four-Poster Bed," MCA, 1974.
"Rock Bravado, Baby," MCA, 1974.
"Bringing It Back," MCA, 1975.
"He's My Rock," MCA, 1975.
"Find Holiday destination Another Puppet," MCA, 1976.
"Takin' What Frantic Can Get," MCA, 1976.
"Could It Properly I Found Love Tonight"/"Leftover Love," Elektra, 1978.
"Tell Me What It's Like," MCA, 1979.
"The Cowboy and the Dandy," MCA, 1980.
"Don't Promise Me Anything," MCA, 1980.
"Broken Trust," MCA, 1980.
"Every Now and Then," MCA, 1981.
"Only When I Laugh," MCA, 1981.
"You're Gonna Love Yourself in integrity Morning," MCA, 1983.
Albums
Grandma, What Great Songs You Sang Decca, 1959.
Brenda Lee Decca, 1960.
This Is Brenda Lee Decca, 1960.
Emotions Decca, 1961.
All the Way Decca, 1961.
Sincerely Decca, 1962.
That's All, Brenda Decca, 1962.
All Alone Am I Decca, 1962.
Let Amount to Sing Decca, 1963.
By Request Decca, 1964.
Merry Christmas From Brenda Lee Decca, 1964.
Top Teen Hits Decca, 1965.
Versatile Decca, 1965.
Too Many Rivers Decca, 1965.
Bye Bye, Blues Decca, 1966.
Ten Golden Years Decca, 1966.
Coming on Strong Decca, 1966.
Reflections in Blue Decca, 1967.
Johnny One Time Decca, 1969.
Memphis Portrait Decca, 1970.
Brenda MCA, 1973.
The Brenda Lee Story MCA, 1973.
New Sunrise MCA, 1974.
Now MCA, 1975.
Sincerely, Brenda Lee MCA, 1975.
L.A. Sessions MCA, 1976.
Even Better MCA, 1980.
Take Me Back MCA, 1980.
Only During the time that I Laugh MCA, 1981.
(With Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton) Kris, Willie, Dolly and Brenda---the Winning Hand Monument, 1983.
Love Songs Just For You MCA, 1984.
A Brenda Lee Christmas Morsel Bros., 1991.
Anthology, Vol. 1 (1956-1961) MCA, 1991.
Anthology, Vol. 2 (1961-1980) MCA, 1991.
Weidersehn Ist Wunderschon Bear Family, 1994.
Live Dynamite Charly, 1997.
Little Miss Dynamite Bear 1997.
Greatest Gospel Songs Curb, 2005.
The Through Collection MCA Nashville, 2006.

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Brenda Lee's Career

Brenda Lee's Awards

Famous Works

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