Brenda Lee

Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Ray Charles. She is known for her 1960 hit "I'm Sorry" and 1958's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", which has become a Christmas standard.

At 4 ft 9 inches tall (approximately 145 cm), she received the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite" in 1957, after recording the song "Dynamite" when she was 12. She is one of the first pop music stars to have a major international following. In 1969, Lee returned to the charts with her recording "Johnny One Time" penned by A. L. "Doodle" Owens and Dallas Frazier. The song reached #3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart and #41 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Lee her second Grammy nomination for Best Pop Female Vocal. Later success came with a return to her roots as a country singer, with a string of hits through the 1970s and 1980s.

Lee has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is a member of the Rock and Roll, Country Music and Rockabilly Halls of Fame. She is also a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Lee is the first woman to be inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 11, 1944 (Grady Memorial Hospital)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1956 - 1972

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, flute, piano, bells, trumpet

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 394 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 101242 1/3/1957 Fairytale land-2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 101243 1/3/1957 One step at a time-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111412 11/30/1961 Geh' am gluck nicht vorbei (Fool number one) (German) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111413 11/30/1961 La premiere fois (Fool number one) (French) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111414 11/30/1961 Sono sciocca (Fool number one) (Italian) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111415 11/30/1961 Darling bye bye (Anybody but me) (German) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111416 1/1/1961 Pourquoi jamais moi (Anybody but me) (French) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 111417 1/1/1961 Nulla di me (Anybody but me) (Italian) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 113267 2/25/1963 or 2/26/1963 Am strand von Hawaii Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 113268 2/25/1963 or 2/26/1963 Ein meinen träumen Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 113269 2/25/1963 or 2/26/1963 Wo und wann, fängt die liebe an Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 113270 2/25/1963 or 2/26/1963 Darling, was ist lost mir dir Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114462 6/22/1967 Champagne and tears Pete Fountain ; Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114689 3/26/1964* Ich will immer auf Dich warten Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114690 3/26/1964* Drei rote rosen blüh'n Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114691 3/26/1964* No my boy Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114692 3/26/1964* Ohne dich Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114693 3/26/1964* Wiedersehn ist wunderschön Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 114694 3/26/1964* Kansas City Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 115718 2/17/1965 Willow weep for me Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 115719 2/17/1965 Almost there Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 115720 2/17/1965 Yesterday's gone Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 115721 2/17/1965 The birds and the bees Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 117811 8/15/1966 Endless love Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca 117812 8/15/1966 Anasaka after dark Brenda Lee vocalist  
(Results 1-25 of 394 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lee, Brenda," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/205729.

Lee, Brenda. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/205729.

"Lee, Brenda." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/205729

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