Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time ever in 2023. This year it's sitting at #2. But there's a lot more to Brenda Lee than just that one song, which you'll find out by watching her PBS American Masters documentary, Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around, which is streaming now.
Lee, 80, signed a record deal at age 11 and scored dozens of hits in the rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, pop and country fields. In the '60s, only Elvis, The Beatles and Ray Charles charted more singles than she did — in fact, the Beatles once opened for her. She's sold over 100 million records worldwide, and is the first woman to be inducted into both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
But unlike many child stars, Lee never had any substance abuse issues, nor was she taken advantage of by the adults around her. Explaining how she avoided that, she tells ABC Audio, "I had people around me — from the record label to my great manager, to my precious, precious mother and my family — that truly cared."
"And the most important part was, I loved what I did. So it wasn't work to me. And nobody exploited me and nobody made me do anything. It was always my decision."
These days, most people know Lee for "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which she recorded at age 13. Why does she think the 1958 tune is so enduring?
"Well, first of all, it's a good song," she tells ABC Audio. "It's well written. It's catchy. And ... it's just fun. You don't have to sit down and analyze it. You either like it or you don't. And I never thought that would be my signature song ... but it is."