Brenda Lee (born December 11, 1944) was an American teen idol and country singer, from Lithonia, Georgia.
She sang in a big adult voice from childhood and began her recording career at age 12 in 1956, with songs like "BIGELOW 6-2000" and "Little JonahAs one of the first female idols, Lee was a huge success with a long string of hits. At Christmas, 1958 she hit the top of the charts with Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. Then, disc-jockeys dubbed her "Little Miss Raze Matazz" after her husky, pounding voice belted out received second big hit "Sweet Nothin's" in 1959.
Her last top-10 single was 1963's "Losing You", although she continued to have moderate success which lasted until her 1966 song "Coming On Strong".
In spite of a few minor hits in the late 1960s and a brief comeback in the 1970s in the country music market, Lee was never able to achieve widespread success again.
A few of Brenda Lee's better known hits:
- Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (1956)
- Rock-A-Bye Baby Blues (1957)
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree (1958)
- Sweet Nothin's (1959)
- I'm sorry Brenda (1960)
- Break It To Me Gently (1962)
- All Alone Am I (1962)
Quotation
- "Radio's playing some forgotten song, Brenda Lee's 'Coming on Strong'"
- From "Radar Love" by Golden Earring