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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZLEE, Brenda(b Brenda Mae Tarplay, 11 Dec. '44, Lithonia GA) Pop/country singer, one of the most successful of the '60s, with 50 Hot 100 entries USA '57--73, pop hits in UK, Japan, Germany etc, then on country chart well into the '80s. Began as a child prodigy on the radio in Congers GA '49; on Jubilee USA with Red Foley '55--8, with Steve Allen, Perry Como on TV USA, Jack Good's Oh Boy in UK '58--9, etc. Signed with Decca USA '55, had minor hits 'One Step At A Time' (no. 15 in C&W chart), 'Dynamite'; then high in both pop and R&B charts with 'Sweet Nothin's' '59, 'I'm Sorry' (no. 1 pop), 'That's All You Gotta Do', 'I Want To Be Wanted' (no. 1 pop), several more, all '60. She married childhood sweetheart Ronnie Shacklett '64, settled in Nashville with daughters Julie and Jolie. She had 15 LPs in the album charts '60--69, now all out of print. She was essentially the most successful crossover artist of the decade: one of the few female rockers (as 'Little Miss Dynamite', with 'Dum Dum', 'Sweet Impossible You', etc); but 'I'm Sorry' was a classic smoocher and in juke box terms the end of an era: 'rock' soon eclipsed rock'n'roll, while her transparent sincerity and her use of melisma (e.g. with far less self- consciousness than Buddy Holly) revealed a basically country singer. She never had another no. 1 pop hit after '60 but with lots of top 40 entries the diminutive girl with the big voice was named Most Programmed Female Vocalist '61--5 in USA; she faded from the pop charts but had country hits almost every year '69--85. She left MCA '85, sued them '88 for $20m in unpaid royalties on foreign record sales (settled out of court '89). She starred in Broadway-styled production Music! Music! Music! at Opryland Theatre '88--90; signed to WB '91 without much success, has served on CMA boards and committees. She appeared in all-star two-disc The Winning Hand '83 on Monument, with Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson etc. |