Brenda Lee’s name may not be as recognizable as some of the other music stars from the 1960s but when you think of Christmas, you’ll know her song, and start humming her catchy tune, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
When Lee, now 78, first hit the stage, she wasn’t old enough to drive but her powerful vocals steered her “unprecedented international popularity” as the most successful female artist of the 1960s.
Lee, whose voice defied her diminutive stature at only 4 foot 9, became a fan favorite when she was only 12.
Brenda May Tarpley, born in 1944, got her start in the late 1940s, became huge in the 1950s, and over her career–that started before she left elementary school–she topped the charts 55 times, earning the title as the most successful female recording artist of the 1960s.
When Lee was only eight (according to Rolling Stone), her father, a construction worker, was killed at work and little Brenda–who then changed her last name to Lee–became the family’s primary provider.
Taking care of her younger brother, big sister, and mother–a cotton mill worker–was not a duty, but something she wanted to do. She said that she was thrilled when she made her first $20, so she could help her family: “Even at that young age, I saw that helped our life,” Lee said, adding “It put some food on the table. It helped, and I loved it.”
The Atlanta-born chanteuse, called a “pioneer of early rock and roll,” by the Georgia Encyclopedia, achieved “unprecedented international popularity in the 1960s.”
But, an incredibly humble human, Lee credits those who helped her achieve her dreams. When Christianity Today asked what she thinks about being a legend, Lee said “I don’t think of myself that way!” She continued, “I’m just a girl who’s been blessed to be doing what I’m doing, and there’s a lot of people who’ve sweated a lot of tears and put a lot of life’s work into me to be able to have my dream. So, if I’m a legend, then they’re legends, too.”
In 1956, the young girl joined country star Red Foley for a show at the Bell Auditorium near her home in Augusta, and she belted out “Jambalaya,” by Hank Williams.
She was then signed to appear on Foley’s Ozark Jubilee, a country music show, where millions of viewers fell in love with the sassy 12-year-old whose talent was developed well beyond her age.
In the same year, Lee signed with Decca Records, and the next year, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and fusing country with rhythm and blues–highlighted by her hiccupping vocals–she recorded early rockabilly classics like “BIGELOW 6-200,” “Little Jonah,” and “Let’s Jump the Broomstick.”
When asked if–when as a young girl–she was nervous performing in front of large crowds, she answered: “No, not really. Nobody ever told me to be nervous. The stage always felt like a hometown to me because I had been in front of people ever since I was 3 years old, singing to people. So it was a very comfortable spot for me.”
In 1957, Lee earned the nickname “Little Miss Dynamite” for her pint-sized powerhouse recording of the song “Dynamite,” and in 1958, fans heard “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree,” a genre and generation-crossing holiday standard, released when she was only 13.
“I knew it was magical,” she told Rolling Stone.
Over the next couple of years, she charted with hits like “Sweet Nuthin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
Most of her songs, however, contradicted her experience as a young girl. Her mother didn’t let her date and she graduated high school not understanding the heartbreak of young love.
She was only 16 when she said “Love could be so cruel” in the song “I’m Sorry” and only 16 when she said “I want his lips to kiss me” in the song “I Want to be Wanted,” both back-to-back hits when she was still in school.
And when she turned 18, she met Ronnie Shacklett, whom she’s now been happily married to for 60 years.
Life on the road for Lee as a youngster had its difficulties. She celebrated her 12th birthday in Las Vegas and speaking with the Las Vegas Journal, Lee explained her loneliness.
“Of course, I wasn’t even allowed to walk through a casino, I was so young. So I didn’t even know what a casino looked like. They took me into the kitchen, then into the showroom. And then when my show was over, I was brought back out through the kitchen and back up to my room. Children weren’t allowed … in the casino area.” She continued, “There wasn’t anything to do in Vegas for a kid. The most fun I had was on the stage.”
Speaking on what she missed out on as a child, the award-winning Lee said, “Many times, I yearned to be with my friends rather than be out there on the road.”
Turns out she made new friends on the road, like with the music group that opened for her at a 1962 show in Germany. “I hung out with John,” she says effortlessly, speaking of John Lennon. “He was extremely intelligent, very acerbic with his jokes, just a gentle person. When I found out that they later said they were fans of my music, I was just floored.”
My Children Returned Home to Discover Our Neighbors Dumping Dirt into Our Lake, Fate Dealt with Them Before I Had the Chance
When Bethany moved into her dream home with her two sons, Austin and Sheldon, she imagined peaceful days by the lake. However, their neighbors, Oswald and Patricia, quickly turned their new life into a nightmare. Just when things seemed hopeless, an unexpected turn of events taught the neighbors a memorable lesson.
Bethany was excited to give her boys, ages 10 and 12, a life filled with nature. The beautiful backyard lake was a big part of that dream. The boys were eager to fish and boat, begging for a canoe. The first few weeks were wonderful. The kids enjoyed catching frogs and playing by the water. But soon, they met Oswald and Patricia, who clearly disapproved of their presence. Oswald accused them of “hogging” the lake, claiming it was his and warning them to keep away.
Confused and hurt, Bethany tried to explain that the realtor had said they all shared access to the lake. But Oswald only grew more hostile, declaring that if he saw the kids near the water again, there would be consequences.
With a heavy heart, Bethany had to tell her sons to stay away from the lake, which devastated them. Just a few days later, while they were fishing, Oswald yelled at them, claiming they were polluting his lake with their fishing gear. The boys were shocked and upset.
Then one day, Bethany spotted Oswald erecting a fence down the middle of the lake, dividing it. Furious, she confronted him, explaining that the lake belonged to both properties. Oswald dismissed her concerns, insisting he would do whatever he wanted.
Feeling defeated, Bethany took the boys to visit her sister for a night, hoping the neighbors would back off. However, when they returned, they found an excavator filling in their half of the lake with dirt.
Panic set in as Bethany rushed to the workers, demanding they stop. One worker told her they were just following orders. To her horror, Oswald appeared, smiling as he claimed he was getting rid of the lake because it lowered his property value.
As the excavator worked, the water level on Oswald’s side began to rise rapidly, flooding his yard and soon his house. He yelled for help as chaos unfolded around him. The workers panicked as they realized they had miscalculated the water displacement. Watching Oswald struggle in the rising water filled Bethany with a sense of justice. Once the workers left, she quickly hired her own team to restore her section of the lake.
Within days, the water was back to normal, and the boys were happily fishing and playing again. Meanwhile, Oswald and Patricia had to leave their home for weeks to repair the damage caused by the flooding. In the end, Bethany felt relieved that the ordeal was over. Her sons could enjoy their little slice of nature again, and she was reminded that sometimes, karma finds a way to balance things out.
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