Brenda Lee Profile
Brenda Lee is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop, and country music. During the 1960s, she had 47 US chart hits and is ranked fourth in that decade. In addition, she is also known for her 1960 hit “I’m Sorry” and 1958’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, which has become a Christmas standard.
Brenda Lee Education
Lee attended grade schools wherever her father found work, primarily between Atlanta and Augusta.
Brenda Lee Career
Lee has had a stellar music career since she began as a rockabilly teen, later she moved to pop stardom, and finally returned to her country roots. In Nashville, she is among the most versatile singers ever to record.
She was born in the charity ward of Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital and by the time she could really talk, she was sinning. At the age of two, she would listen to a son and whistle the tune, and sing the lyrics perfectly. In addition, after her father passed on, her singing became a necessity for the family. She had her first serious paying gig where she earned $35.
She did belt out Hank Williams songs in a voice that belied her age and tiny stature. On many occasions, she would work late nights hence her third-grade teacher would let her take a nap on her desk during lessons. In addition, she was able to get a national television appearance on ABC’s Ozark Jubilee which was hosted by Red Foley in 1956.
Furthermore, Red Foley was not only her professional mentor but also her personal mentor. She relocated to Nashville after signing herself with Decca in 1956 and Owen Bradley became her producer. In addition, she did her first single called Jambalaya and later in 1955, she did an explosive pop hit called Dynamite. Dynamite earned her a massive international audience and the nickname Little Miss Dynamite.
Quick Facts About Brenda Lee
| Age | 77 years old as of 2021 |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse | Ronnie Shacklett |
| Net Worth | $22 million |
In the 1970’s she returned to the music she’d loved in childhood and scored six-country Top 10s with songs such as; Nobody Wins, and Big Four Poster Bed. Furthermore, by the late 1980s, she had 32 country hits and had sold over 90 million records worldwide which was more than any other woman singer in had in history.
In addition, with Tell Me What It’s Like, she was nominated for a GRAMMY and in 1980 for Broken Trust. In 1997, she was inducted into the Country and in 2002, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame.
Brenda Lee Age
Lee is 77 years old as of 2021. She was born on December 11, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. She celebrates her birthday on the 11th of December every year.
Brenda Lee Height
Lee stands at a height of 4 feet 9 inches tall.
Brenda Lee Family \ Brenda Lee Father
Lee’s mother is Annie Grayce Yarbrough while his father was known as Ruben Tarpley who died in 1953 in a construction accident. Her father was a farmer’s son in Georgia’s red-clay belt.
Ruben stood at a height of 5 feet 7 inches tall and he spent 11 years in the United States Army playing baseball. In addition, her mother came from a working-class family in Greene County, Georgia. Lee has a sister but has not revealed the name of her sister. In addition, she is the cousin to Dave Rainwater who is a singer from the New Christy Minstrels.
Brenda Lee Husband
Lee is married to Ronnie Shacklett who she met at a November 1962 Bo Diddley and Jackie Wilson concert at Nashville’s Fairgrounds Coliseum. They later tied the knot on April 24, 1963, after six months of knowing each other.
Together the couple has been blessed with two daughters, Jolie and Julie who is named after Patsy Cline’s daughter, and three grandchildren including; Taylor, Jordan, and Charley. Lee and Shacklett have two daughters, Jolie and Julie (named after and three grandchildren, Taylor, Jordan, and Charley
Brenda Lee Salary
Lee earns an annual salary of $288,888
Brenda Lee Net Worth
Lee has a net worth of $22 million which she has earned through her career as a singer.
Brenda Lee Songs
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas tree
- Jingle Bell Rock – 1964
- If You Love Me – 1961
- Break It To Me Gently – 1963
- All Alone Am I – 1963
- That’s All You Gotta do – 1960
- Fool# 1 – 1962
- Emotions – 1961
- Coming On Strong – 1966
- You Can Depend On Me – 1962
- I’m Sorry – 1960
- Sweet Nothin’s – 1960
- End Of The World – 1963
- Losing You – 1963
- Someone To Love Me – 1961
- Johnny One Time – 1963
- Weep No More My Baby – 1960
- Nobody Wins – 1973
- Here Comes That Feeling – 1988
Brenda Lee Death
Lee is still alive as of 2021.