Brenda Lee

Biography

Brenda has two sisters and a brother: Armoured born in 1942, Robin born in 1955 and Rendent born in 1949.

Fascinated by the music heard with the radio, at the three years age, she memorizes already parts of songs which she sings while playing in the family home.

In 1950, it belongs to the pupils of its school chosen to take part in the contest of talents of the festival of spring of its area: it gains the first price. The organizers are impressed and invite Brenda to take part in a radio operator show of Atlanta. Brenda makes its beginnings with the song Too Young , and is a very great success at once. One thus proposes to him to return each Saturday. It takes part then regularly in another emission.

Reuben, the father of Brenda, player of Baseball semi-professional and carpenter, dies of an industrial accident in May 1953. The mother of Brenda Marie some time afterwards with Jay Rainwater, and the family moves in Augusta, Georgia.

To the end of the year 1955, the singer of country Red Foley, then at the top of his career, comes to sing in Augusta. He accepts that Brenda makes an appearance in its show. She sings there Jambalaya and its success exceeds all the hopes. In February 1956, Brenda passes then in a show on ABC, a station located at Springfield, Missouri. In front of success, the family decides to move in Springfield.

Brenda occurs then in national emissions. She meets Paul Cohen, director of Decca Records to Nashville. May 21st, 1956, it signs its first contract with the recording company.

July 30th, 1956, it records its first session in a small studio of Nashville ( Bigelow 6200 inter alia). Two the first individual ones left by Decca are Jambalaya with Bigelow 6200 , Christy Christmas with I' m Gonna Lasso Santa Claus . It records then One Step At has Time . This last song the place with the 43e place of the charts.

In May 1957, it records Dynamite which will give him its nickname of " Little Dynamite" Miss;. Then on May 8th, 1958, Boxing ring-HAVe-My-Phon and Little Jonah . It becomes acquainted with Elvis Presley with which it remains friendly until the death of the singer.

In same time, Brenda continues to occur in various concerts (of which Flamingo Hôtel of Las Vegas) and various shows TV. However, she is less and less asked, surely because of the fact that she is 14 years old and is not regarded any more as a child prodigy.

In January 1959, it leaves to Paris (France). There, the promoters who had organized his arrival, expected to see an adult and not a teenager. Blow, they do not want to ensure their contract any more. Its business manager declares with the press that it is in fact dwarf 32 years. Then, ashamed of its action, he contradicts his declaration, but the history is published, and the rumor is spread in all Europe and the whole world. This scandal will be finally beneficial in Brenda, which will make full house with all her concerts and will pass even to the Olympia during five weeks. In slides, Gilbert Bécaud encourages it and gives him councils.

This Parisian success will enable him to go to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and to Germany, to Brazil where it meets an immense success. Its success in Europe ends up being reflected on the other side of the Atlantic.

In August 1959, Sweet Nothin' S arrives at the 5th place in the American charts, in the 4th place in the British charts. The author, Ronnie Self-service, will give him another song, I' m sorry which will be n°1 in the USA.

The success of I' m sorry will be the transition from the musical change of Brenda. Indeed, this one now will direct towards a sound more " nashvillien' and to give up the Rock'n'roll. She sings I Just Want To Be Wanted , Emotions and You Can Depends One Me in the Années 1960.

1961: Brenda Lee makes its beginnings with the cinema in Two little bears . She sings there Speak To Me Pretty which became very popular in the United Kingdom… but did not have great success in the United States. She had also a small role in Smokey and the Bandit 2 where she sings Again and Again .

April 24th, 1963, with the Radnor church of Nashville, it Marie with Ronnie (born on May 12th, 1944). Its first child is born in 1964.

1962-1966: All Alone Am I , Ace Usual , Coming One Strong , Too Many Rivers .

September 1964: during the Royal Command Performance, she sings in front of the Elizabeth II queen. She continues her rounds in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan.

In the Years 1970, Brenda Lee, confronted with its concerns for new mother, also have problems of voice due to its abused vocal cords. It decides to stop singing during a certain time, but a little later begins again and continuous to record discs.

1983: she sings in duet with Willie Nelson, You' Re Gonna Love Yourself (In The Morning) .

In 1997, it was introduced with the Country Music Hall off Famed

Selective discography

Simple: Brenda Lee

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