Brenda Lee! I hope you know she is the voice behind "Rockin' Round The Christmas Tree"! (A Georgia Girl like me, she is from the small town of Lithonia, which is just 8 miles down the road from me!) The song was written by Johnny Marks, the same man who gave us, "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", not to mention ALL the songs from the Rudolph stop motion TV show from 1964. (You know them all, don't you? You know I do!) I read an interview that she gave recently and she said that Johnny Marks specifically asked for her to record this song. And here is her quote, " I was only 12 and I had not had a lot of success...but he wanted me to do it and I did."
Now, go back and read that...that is NOT a typo, she sang that song when she was only 12 years old! Wow, such a voice! And she is very petite, I think she is just 4 feet, 9 inches as an adult, imagine how small she must have been as a child. She began singing at the age of 4, and her family was very poor. Her father died when she was just nine years old. Brenda Lee became the primary breadwinner in her family at the age of 10. I don't know if any of you saw the series by Ken Burns on Country Music but I really enjoyed hearing of her experiences in music and also of her close friends in the music business. I had no idea that she had toured with Patsy Cline and that Patsy had "taken her under her wing", so to speak. I find that very interesting. Wouldn't it have been great if they could have cut a record together? And what if you could have heard them perform in concert together?
Brenda Lee is a fantastically successful musical artist, selling 100 million records worldwide!
Oh yeah, the Christmas song that she recorded when she was just 12? It has always been one of the most requested songs when she performs! It is always popular to hear at Christmas but guess what, just this week...
from digital downloads and streaming, "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" is at an all time chart peak at # 3 for the 2019 holiday season! (Amazing, really since it has been around since 1958.)
I know I should give you the video of her singing the very song I have been talking about, but that first video I have for you is..."Break It To Me Gently", just because I like it so much!
What you are saying, after all this about the song and you don't have it on here for us? HA! You know I do!
In the very popular film, "Home Alone" from 1990, the song was heard in its entirety and it is from this movie that many heard it for the first time.
Brenda Lee has always been a fave 50s singer of mine -- such a distinctive sounding voice!
ReplyDeleteAll Georgia girls are distinctive! :-)
DeleteBrenda Lee was and is phenomenal. She's been performing since she was 4 years old. I like "Sweet Nothings".
ReplyDeleteA wonderful voice, and not child-like at all even though she was only 12 at the time. I wonder whether she, like others who started working in the music/show business so young, was ever allowed to be just a little girl; I doubt it, her becoming the bread winner for her family at 10.
ReplyDeleteShe was really special...loved her music!
ReplyDeletehughugs
One of my grandson's recently did his own rendition of the song. I love it !
ReplyDeleteI like that Rocking round the Christmas Tree a lot. I think I have a recording of it. Nothing like music to get you going!
ReplyDeleteMore memories from long ago! They often played this at the ice skating rink we attended. Also Jingle Bell Rock. Love that little blue tree! I wish you and all your family a happy and healthy joful Christmas and 2020, Kay!
ReplyDeleteMy parents played a Brenda Lee album every now and then. I loved her voice then and I love it now. I knew she started her career when she was very young.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
It's a long time since I heard Brenda Lee. That should give me a bit of listening today.
ReplyDeleteSure, I do remember Brenda Lee but had not thought of her in years. Had to go Google her and check if she was still around - and she is! Rockin round the Christmas tree is still played here in Australia too, an all-time favourite.
ReplyDeleteShe is much admired here, and yes, i knew she was short, like me. Big surprises can come in small packages.
ReplyDeleteAha! This is the title of my latest blog post!! :)
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