Career Timeline of Brenda Lee: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Brenda Lee, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Brenda Lee, born Brenda Mae Tarpley, is an American singer celebrated for her contributions to rockabilly, pop, country, and Christmas music. Nicknamed "Little Miss Dynamite," she had her first Billboard hit at age 12. Her popular songs include "Sweet Nothin's" and "I'm Sorry." Lee achieved a historic milestone in 2023 when her 1958 recording, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," topped the Billboard Hot 100, making her the oldest artist to ever achieve this feat and breaking several chart records.
1953: Father's Death and Early Career
In 1953, Brenda Lee's father died and by the time she turned ten, she became the primary breadwinner of her family by singing at events and on local radio and television shows.
February 1955: Breakthrough Performance
In February 1955, Brenda Lee had her breakthrough moment when she performed "Jambalaya" on stage with Red Foley, marking a significant step in her early career.
March 31, 1955: Network Debut on Ozark Jubilee
On March 31, 1955, Brenda Lee made her network debut on Ozark Jubilee in Springfield, Missouri, marking a significant milestone in her early career.
July 30, 1956: Record Deal with Decca Records
On July 30, 1956, Decca Records offered Brenda Lee a contract, marking the beginning of her professional recording career.
1956: Initial Releases Did Not Chart
In 1956, Brenda Lee's initial releases did not chart, marking a period of building momentum in her early career.
1957: First Billboard Hit
In 1957, Brenda Lee achieved her first Billboard hit at the age of 12, earning her the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite."
1957: First Hit and Nickname
In 1957, Brenda Lee had her first hit with "One Step at a Time" and gained the nickname "Little Miss Dynamite."
1958: Recording "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
In 1958, Brenda Lee recorded "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which would later become a holiday classic. It featured a prominent twanging guitar part by Hank Garland.
1958: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Recorded
In 1958, Brenda Lee recorded the song "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," which later became a holiday classic.
April 1959: First UK Visit
In April 1959, Brenda Lee first visited the United Kingdom for three days as a last-minute replacement on Oh Boy!.
1959: Initial Release of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
In 1959, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was released again but did not achieve significant success at the time. The song was originally recorded in 1958.
1959: British Television Performance
In 1959, Brenda Lee performed on British television, gaining recognition in the United Kingdom before achieving pop recognition in the United States.
1960: Release of 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So'
Brenda Lee released 'Hallelujah, I Love Her So' in 1960 on This Is...Brenda. She later recorded a duet of the song in 1984.
1960: Success with "That's All You Gotta Do"
In 1960, Brenda Lee had success with the song "That's All You Gotta Do", marking a period of significant achievement in her career.
1960: Release of "I'm Sorry"
In 1960, Brenda Lee recorded her signature song, "I'm Sorry", which became one of the biggest hits of the year after an initial delay due to concerns about its suitability for a 15-year-old. "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" was also noticed later that year.
1960: Release of "I Want to Be Wanted"
In 1960, Brenda Lee released the single, "I Want to Be Wanted".
1960: "I'm Sorry" Reached #1
In 1960, Brenda Lee's song "I'm Sorry" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the second woman ever to top the chart.
1960: UK Hit with "Sweet Nothin's"
In the spring of 1960, Brenda Lee's "Sweet Nothin's" peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, marking her first hit single in the United Kingdom.
1961: UK Hit with "Let's Jump the Broomstick"
In 1961, Brenda Lee had a UK hit with "Let's Jump the Broomstick", a rockabilly number that had not charted in the United States.
April 1962: First UK Tour
In March and April 1962, Brenda Lee first toured the UK with Gene Vincent and Sounds Incorporated.
May 1962: Greatest UK Hit with "Speak to Me Pretty"
In May 1962, Brenda Lee's "Speak to Me Pretty" peaked at No. 3 in the UK, becoming her greatest hit in the UK by chart placing.
1962: Appearance at Star-Club with The Beatles
In 1962, Brenda Lee appeared at the Star-Club in Hamburg with The Beatles as the opening act.
1962: Success with "Break It to Me Gently"
In 1962, Brenda Lee had success with the song "Break It to Me Gently", continuing her run of hits.
March 1963: Second UK Tour
In March 1963, Brenda Lee toured the UK for a second time, supported by the Bachelors, Sounds Incorporated, Tony Sheridan, and Mike Berry.
1963: UK Hit with "All Alone Am I"
In 1963, Brenda Lee had a hit in the UK with "All Alone Am I", continuing her success in the United Kingdom.
1963: Tour in the Republic of Ireland
In 1963, Brenda Lee toured in the Republic of Ireland and appeared on the front cover of Spotlight magazine.
1963: Release of "Losing You"
In 1963, Brenda Lee's song "Losing You" reached No. 6, marking her last top-ten single on the pop charts in the United States.
November 2, 1964: Royal Variety Performance
On November 2, 1964, Brenda Lee appeared at the annual Royal Variety Performance before Queen Elizabeth II at the London Palladium.
December 1964: UK Tour
In November and December 1964, Brenda Lee toured the United Kingdom again, supported by various artists.
1964: Success of "As Usual" and "Coming on Strong"
In 1964, "As Usual" reached No. 12 in the US and No. 5 in the UK, and "Coming on Strong" peaked at No. 11 in the US, marking a period of continued success.
1964: UK Hit with "As Usual"
In 1964, Brenda Lee had a hit in the UK with "As Usual", further solidifying her popularity in the region.
1969: First Country Hit
In 1969, Brenda Lee had her first country hit with "Johnny One Time", after being marketed exclusively as a pop artist throughout the 1960s.
1972: Appearance on Hee Haw
In 1972, Brenda Lee's appearance on the variety show Hee Haw was instrumental to her comeback as a country music artist.
1973: Top Ten Hit with "Nobody Wins"
In 1973, Brenda Lee had a top ten hit on the country charts with "Nobody Wins", marking a resurgence in her career.
1974: Major Hits
In 1974, Brenda Lee continued her comeback with major hits including "Wrong Ideas" and "Big Four Poster Bed".
1975: Major Hits
In 1975, Brenda Lee continued her success with major hits including "Rock on Baby" and "He's My Rock".
1979: Return to the Top Ten
In 1979, Brenda Lee began another run at the top ten with "Tell Me What It's Like", marking a resurgence in her career.
1980: Top 10 Hits
In 1980, Brenda Lee had two follow-up hits that reached the Top 10: "The Cowgirl and the Dandy" and "Broken Trust", the latter featuring vocal backing by the Oak Ridge Boys.
1982: Album 'The Winning Hand' Success
In 1982, Brenda Lee's album, The Winning Hand, with Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, became a surprise hit, reaching the top ten on the U.S. country albums chart.
1984: Hit with "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" Duet
In 1984, Brenda Lee had her last well-known hit with "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" in duet with George Jones.
1992: Duet with Willy DeVille
In 1992, Brenda Lee recorded a duet ("You'll Never Know") with Willy DeVille on his album Loup Garou, showcasing her continued musical activity.
October 4, 2000: Induction of Faron Young and Charley Pride
On October 4, 2000, Brenda Lee inducted Faron Young and Charley Pride into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
2007: Gospel Album Release
In 2007, Brenda Lee released a gospel collection album.
2008: 50th Anniversary of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
In 2008, Brenda Lee's recording of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" marked 50 years as a holiday standard.
February 2009: Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award
In February 2009, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gave Brenda Lee a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
2015: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Re-enters Billboard Hot 100
Since 2015, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has regularly returned to the Billboard Hot 100.
2016: Announcement of Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees
In 2016, Brenda Lee announced Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, and Fred Foster as the newest inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame.
2017: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Re-enters Charts
Since 2017, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" has appeared at the end of each year on the Billboard Hot 100, demonstrating its enduring popularity.
December 21, 2019: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Reaches New Peak on Billboard Hot 100
On December 21, 2019, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" reached a new peak of #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
2022: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Re-peaks at #2
From 2019 to 2022, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" re-peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts.
November 2023: Release of Music Video and TikTok Promotion
In November 2023, Brenda Lee released a music video for "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" featuring Tanya Tucker and Trisha Yearwood, and joined TikTok to promote the song.
December 9, 2023: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" at Number 1
As of December 9, 2023, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" spent 54 weeks on the Hot 100, peaking at number 1 in 2023. The song was originally recorded in 1958.
December 9, 2023: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Tops Billboard Hot 100
On December 9, 2023, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time, becoming Lee's third #1 hit.
December 16, 2023: Lee Holds Number One Spot
For the week ending December 16, 2023, Brenda Lee held the number one spot, which also meant she surpassed her own age record, having turned 79 during the week.
2023: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Topped Charts
In 2023, Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, making her the oldest artist to ever top the chart. The song had been recorded in 1958.
January 6, 2024: Returns to number one
On the week ending January 6, 2024, she returned to number one for an additional week.
October 25, 2024: Release of AI-Generated Spanish Version "Noche Buena y Navidad"
On October 25, 2024, an AI-generated Spanish language version "Noche Buena y Navidad" of a song was released with Lee's approval.
December 2024: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" Reaches Milestone on Spotify and Receives RIAA Certification
In December 2024, Spotify revealed that "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" is among the Top 10 most streamed holiday songs of all time, reaching over a billion downloads. The RIAA also certified the song 7x Platinum.
