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 101-125 of 394 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca NA 10422 10/19/1958 Heading home-1, 2, 4 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10423 10/19/1958 Let's jump the broomstick-1, 4 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10424 10/19/1958 Hummin' the blues over you-4 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10549 1/4/1959 The stroll Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10550 1/4/1959 Rock-a-bye your baby with a Dixie melody-1,2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10551 1/4/1959 Pretty baby-1, 2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10576 1/26/1959 St. Louis blues-1, 2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10577 1/26/1959 Pennies from heaven-2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10578 1/26/1959 Baby face Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10579 1/26/1959 Ballin' the jack-1, 2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10580 1/26/1959 Just because-1, 2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10581 1/26/1959 Side by side-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10582 1/26/1959 A good man is hard to find-1,2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10583 1/26/1959 Some of these days Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10584 1/26/1959 Back in your own backyard-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10585 1/26/1959 Toot toot tootsie goodbye-1,2 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10826 8/13/1959 Sweet nothin's Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10827 8/13/1959 (If I'm dreaming) Just let me Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 10828 8/13/1959 Weep no more my baby Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11051 3/27/1960 That's all you gotta do Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11052 3/27/1960 I want to be wanted (Per tutta la vita) Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11053 3/28/1960 Just a little-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11054 3/28/1960 Build a big fence Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11055 3/28/1960 Be my love again-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
Decca NA 11056 3/28/1960 I'm sorry-1 Brenda Lee vocalist  
(Results 101-125 of 394 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lee, Brenda," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/205729.

Lee, Brenda. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/205729.

"Lee, Brenda." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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