Music >> Artists >> Rock
Birth Name:
Brenda Mae Tarpley

Born:
December 11, 1944 in Lithonia, GA

Genre:
Rock

Years Active:
'50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s, '10s






Brenda Lee

Biography

One of the biggest pop stars of the early '60s, Brenda Lee hasn't attracted as much critical respect as she deserves. She is sometimes inaccurately characterized as one of the few female teen idols. More crucially, the credit for achieving success with pop-country crossovers usually goes to Patsy Cline, although Lee's efforts in this era were arguably of equal importance. While she made few recordings of note after the mid-'60s, the best of her first decade is fine indeed, encompassing not just the pop ballads that were her biggest hits, but straight country and some surprisingly fierce rockabilly.. One of the biggest pop stars of the early '60s, Brenda Lee hasn't attracted as much critical respect as she deserves. She is sometimes inaccurately characterized as one of the few female teen idols. More crucially, the credit for achieving success with pop-country crossovers usually goes to Patsy Cline, although Lee's efforts in this era were arguably of equal importance. While she made few recordings of note after the mid-'60s, the best of her first decade is fine indeed, encompassing not just the pop ballads that were her biggest hits, but straight country and some surprisingly fierce rockabilly.

Lee was a child prodigy, appearing on national television by the age of ten, and making her first recordings for Decca the following year (1956). Her first few Decca singles, in fact, make a pretty fair bid for the best preteen rock & roll performances this side of Michael Jackson. "BIGELOW 6-200," "Dynamite," and "Little Jonah" are all exceptionally powerful rockabilly performances, with robust vocals and white-hot backing from the cream of Nashville's session musicians (including Owen Bradley, Grady Martin, Hank Garland, and Floyd Cramer). Lee would not have her first big hits until 1960, when she tempered the rockabilly with teen idol pop on "Sweet Nothin's," which went to the Top Five.

The comparison between Lee and Cline is to be expected, given that both singers were produced by Owen Bradley in the early '60s. Naturally, many of the same session musicians and backup vocalists were employed. Brenda, however, had a bigger in with the pop audience, not just because she was still a teenager, but because her material was more pop than Cline's, and not as country. Between 1960 and 1962, she had a stunning series of huge hits: "I'm Sorry," "I Want to Be Wanted," "Emotions," "You Can Depend on Me," "Dum Dum," "Fool #1," "Break It to Me Gently," and "All Alone Am I" all made the Top Ten. Their crossover appeal is no mystery. While these were ballads, they were delivered with enough lovesick yearning to appeal to adolescents, and enough maturity for the adults. The first-class melodic songwriting and professional orchestral production guaranteed that they would not be ghettoized in the country market.

Lee's last Top Ten pop hit was in 1963, with "Losing You." While she still had hits through the mid-'60s, these became smaller and less frequent with the rise of the British Invasion (although she remained very popular overseas). The best of her later hits, "Is It True?," was a surprisingly hard-rocking performance, recorded in 1964 in London with Jimmy Page on guitar. 1966's "Coming on Strong," however, would prove to be her last Top 20 entry.

In the early '70s, Lee reunited with Owen Bradley and, like so many early white rock & roll stars, returned to country music. For a time she was fairly successful in this field, making the country Top Ten half-a-dozen times in 1973-1974. Although she remained active as a recording and touring artist, for the last couple of decades she's been little more than a living legend, directing her intermittent artistic efforts to the country audience.

Top Albums

The Definitive Collection: Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee
1. The Definiti..
20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection: The Best of Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee
2. 20th Century..
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee
3. Rockin' Arou..
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee
4. 20th Century..
In the Mood for Love: Classic Ballads, Brenda Lee
5. In the Mood ..
Brenda Lee: Anthology, Vols. 1 & 2 (1956-1980), Brenda Lee
6. Brenda Lee: ..
Complete Greatest Big Hits 1956 - 1962, Brenda Lee
7. Complete Gre..
The Best of Brenda Lee, Vol. 1 (Re-Recorded), Brenda Lee
8. The Best of ..
Jingle Bell Rock, Brenda Lee
9. Jingle Bell ..
Greatest Gospel Songs, Brenda Lee
10. Greatest Gos..
Country Girls - Blanket On the Ground, Lynn Anderson
11. Country Girl..
A Brenda Lee Christmas, Brenda Lee
12. A Brenda Lee..
Her Dynamite Hits, Brenda Lee
13. Her Dynamite..
The Best of Brenda Lee, Vol. 2, Brenda Lee
14. The Best of ..
Merry Christmas (Remastered), Brenda Lee
15. Merry Christ..
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Brenda Lee (Single Version), Brenda Lee
16. 20th Century..
An Evening With Loretta Lynn, Loretta Lynn
17. An Evening W..
The Gospel Side of Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee
18. The Gospel S..
Just a Closer Walk With Thee -The Gospel Sound of Brenda Lee, Brenda Lee
19. Just a Close..
Greatest Rock and Roll Songs, Brenda Lee
20. Greatest Roc..

Top Songs

NameAlbumTimePrice
1.
I'm Sorry (Single)20th Century Masters - The ..2:40$1.29
2.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tre..20th Century Masters - The ..2:06$1.29
3.
Sweet Nothin'sDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:23$1.29
4.
Break It to Me Gently (Single)20th Century Masters - The ..2:37$1.29
5.
Break It to Me GentlyDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:37$1.29
6.
I'm SorryDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:39$1.29
7.
Too Many RiversDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:49$0.99
8.
All Alone Am IDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:43$1.29
9.
I Want to Be Wanted (Per Tutta la Vi..Definitive Collection: Bren..3:03$0.99
10.
All Alone Am I (Single)Brenda Lee: Anthology, Vols..2:43$1.29
11.
Sweet Nothings50s Teenage Hits2:21$0.99
12.
Fool #1Definitive Collection: Bren..2:27$0.99
13.
EmotionsDefinitive Collection: Bren..2:48$0.99
14.
All Alone Am I (Single)20th Century Masters - The ..2:44$1.29
15.
End of the WorldIn the Mood for Love: Class..3:08$0.99
16.
Wishin' and Hopin'In the Mood for Love: Class..2:55$0.99
17.
Break It to Me GentlyCrimson and Clover: The Sex..2:40$0.99
18.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tre..There's No Place Like H..2:05$0.99
19.
All Alone Am I1960's British Hit Para..2:43$0.99
20.
Sweet Nothings100 Greatest Hits of Rock &..2:21$0.99
21.
Sweet Nothings100 Greatest Hits of Rock &..2:21$0.99
22.
Your Used to BeHits, Hits, & Hits, Vol..2:12$0.99
23.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tre..Christmas in New York - Swi..2:07$0.99
24.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tre..Eterna Navidad Blanca Navid..2:07$0.69
25.
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tre..Christmas Doo Wop & Pop..2:06$0.99

Top Music Videos

All Alone Am I (Ed Sullivan Show/Live/1963 ), Brenda Lee
1. All Alone Am ...
Losing You (Ed Sullivan Show Live 1963), Brenda Lee
2. Losing You (E...
Just a Little Talk With Jesus (feat. Brenda Lee) [Live], Bill & Gloria Gaither
3. Just a Little...


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