I was born Brenda Mae Tarpley on December 11, 1944, in Atlanta Georgia.
My parents, Grayce and Reuben, were poor but managed to support their children through carpentry and long hours in the Georgia cotton mills.
I sang from the time I was a baby. When my sister entered me into a talent contest when I was three, I won. I continued to sing at local halls and baseball games.
When I was only eight years old, my loving father was tragically killed in a construction accident. My singing jobs became necessary for the financial survival of her family.
My mother and I worked tirelessly getting me singing jobs. A local DJ named Peanuts Fairclough shortened my name from Brenda Mae Tarpley to Brenda Lee saying that it would be easier to remember when I was famous.
My mother remarried a man who opened a record store where I sang on weekends. My first break came in 1955 when I was only ten. I turned down a performing gig in order to meet Country & Western star Red Foley. He was blown away by my incredibly powerful voice. He put me on his popular country music television show, Ozark Jubilee, "The Junior Jamboree" edition, where I sang the song Dynamite. I was nicknamed, Little Miss Dynamite.
Although I was making good money after performing at the Grand Ole Opry, most of it was held in trust until I was 21 due to the Jackie Coogan Law. Then, in 1959, my stepfather deserted the family leaving them broke.
Even though at age 15, I was touring the world and singing my heart out, my family and I were forced to live in a trailer park on 75 dollars a month. In 1960, I hit the top of the charts with "I'm Sorry." It was my biggest hit to date and won her both a Grammy nomination and a gold record. Then I petitioned the court to let me have a little more money and get my family out of the trailer park. I won and bought my mom a house, which subsequently burned down.
My huge singing voice and her diminutive stature (I was only 4'9" tall) was confusing for the foreign press who had not seen her in person. A rumor began circulating in France that I was a "32- year-old midget." My tour in France at the tender age of 15 led to over-engagements. The normally blase French press compared me to the legendary Judy Garland. Now I had fans all over the world.
At the age of 18, I met and fell in love with Ronnie Shacklett (6'4" tall). Against the wishes of my manager and mother, we were married.
We had two daughters, Julie and Jolie. Julie's birth was very traumatic.
She was born with a Hyalin Membrane disease and was not expected to live. Her life was saved by the brilliance of Dr. Mildred Stalman—the same doctor who had attended the births of the Kennedy Children.
In the mid-1960's, the Beatles had taken over the North American music scene. My longtime manager and father figure Dub Allbritten died. I became depressed and could not find a place for myself in the music industry that I loved so much.
Then the years on the road caught up with me. In 1974, I was rushed to hospital with life-threatening blood clots. Emergency surgery saved my life and eventually, I returned to my country and western roots.
In late 1974, I recorded new songwriter Kris Kristofferson's first song, "Nobody Wins." It hit the top ten on the Country Charts, and I was back on top with a string of C&W hits. I received awards and accolades from The Georgia Music Hall of Fame and The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
I continued to perform and tour at a relentless pace. My 1989 appearance on k.d. Lang's album Shadowland gave me yet another Grammy nomination.
In 1999, I was diagnosed with cysts on my vocal cords. Facing surgery that may permanently damage my vocal cords, I chose instead to take time off and rest. Although not cured, the damage has been halted.
Even though I recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” written by Johnny Marx, when I was 12 years old, it didn’t have much success until it was released in Europe, and it received an even bigger boost thanks to its inclusion in the classic holiday movie “Home Alone.” I became the oldest woman to reach #1 on the Top 100 Billboard Charts when “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” charted in 2023.
I am still married to my loving Ronnie and with my children close by, I continue to sing my heart out for audiences all over the world.
