 Brenda Mae Tarpley, 11 December 1944,
Lithonia, Georgia, USA. Even in early adolescence, Lee had an adult husk of a voice that
could slip from anguished intimacy through sleepy insinuation to raucous lust, even during
'Let's Jump The Broomstick', 'Speak To Me Pretty' and other jaunty classics that kept her
in the hit parade from the mid-50s to 1965.
Through local radio and, by 1956, wider exposure on Foley, Red's
Ozark Jubilee broadcasts, 'Little Brenda Lee' was ensured enough airplay for her first
single, a revival of Hank Williams' 'Jambalaya', to crack the US country chart before her
Billboard Hot 100 debut with 1957's 'One Step At A Time'.
The novelty of her extreme youth facilitated bigger triumphs for
'Little Miss Dynamite' with the million-selling 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' and
later bouncy rockers, before the next decade brought a greater proportion of heartbreak
ballads, such as 'I'm Sorry' and 'Too Many Rivers' - plus an acting role in the children's
fantasy movie The Two Little Bears. 1963 was another successful year - especially in the
UK with the title song of All Alone Am I, 'Losing You' (a French translation), 'I Wonder'
and 'As Usual' each entering the Top 20.
While 1964 finished well with 'Is It True' and 'Christmas Will Be
Just Another Lonely Day', only minor hits followed. Although she may have weathered
prevailing fads, family commitments caused Lee to cut back on touring and record only
intermittently after 1966's appositely titled Bye Bye Blues.
Lee resurfaced in 1971 with a huge country hit in Kristofferson,
Kris's 'Nobody Wins'; this and later recordings established her as a star of what was then
one of the squarest seams of pop.
When country gained a younger audience in the mid-80s, respect
for its older practitioners found her guesting with Lynn, Loretta and Wells, Kitty on
Lang, K.D.'s Shadowland. - produced in 1988 by Bradley, Owen (who had also supervised many
early Lee records).
In Europe, Brenda Lee remained mostly a memory - albeit a
pleasing one as shown by Coast To Coast's hit revival of 'Let's Jump The Broomstick', a
high UK placing for 1980's Little Miss Dynamite greatest hits collection and Mel Smith And
Wilde, Kim's 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree'. Lee is fortunate in having a large rock
'n' roll catalogue destined for immortality, in addition to her now high standing in the
country music world.
In 1993, billed as 'the biggest-selling female star in pop
history', Brenda Lee toured the UK and played the London Palladium, headlining a nostalgia
package that included Montez, Chris, Barry, Len and Tillotson, Johnny. From her opening
'I'm So Excited', through to the closing 'Rockin' All Over The World', she fulfilled all
expectations, and won standing ovations from packed houses. In keeping with many of their
packages, the Bear Family box set is a superb retrospective.
Brenda Lee was inducted into
the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame on March 18,2002. She becomes the only
female performer, ever to be inducted into both the Rock
N Roll Hall of Fame and The Country Music
Hall of Fame.
Brenda also wrote a book this
past year entitled "Little Miss Dynamite, The Life & Times
of Brenda Lee". In stores everywhere.
Station Avenue has been proud
to produce Brenda Lee in Concert over the past five years. She
continues to remain a super box office draw and audience
favorite.
A First Class Act from a
First Class Legitimate Legend.
Call CJ DiRoma at 856-665-5513 for more information and availabilitys
Toll
Free: 1.866.209.6134
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