Brenda Lee’s name may not be as recognizable as some of the other music stars from the 1960s but when you think of Christmas, you’ll know her song, and start humming her catchy tune, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”
When Lee, now 78, first hit the stage, she wasn’t old enough to drive but her powerful vocals steered her “unprecedented international popularity” as the most successful female artist of the 1960s.
Lee, whose voice defied her diminutive stature at only 4 foot 9, became a fan favorite when she was only 12.
Brenda May Tarpley, born in 1944, got her start in the late 1940s, became huge in the 1950s, and over her career–that started before she left elementary school–she topped the charts 55 times, earning the title as the most successful female recording artist of the 1960s.
When Lee was only eight (according to Rolling Stone), her father, a construction worker, was killed at work and little Brenda–who then changed her last name to Lee–became the family’s primary provider.
Taking care of her younger brother, big sister, and mother–a cotton mill worker–was not a duty, but something she wanted to do. She said that she was thrilled when she made her first $20, so she could help her family: “Even at that young age, I saw that helped our life,” Lee said, adding “It put some food on the table. It helped, and I loved it.”
The Atlanta-born chanteuse, called a “pioneer of early rock and roll,” by the Georgia Encyclopedia, achieved “unprecedented international popularity in the 1960s.”
But, an incredibly humble human, Lee credits those who helped her achieve her dreams. When Christianity Today asked what she thinks about being a legend, Lee said “I don’t think of myself that way!” She continued, “I’m just a girl who’s been blessed to be doing what I’m doing, and there’s a lot of people who’ve sweated a lot of tears and put a lot of life’s work into me to be able to have my dream. So, if I’m a legend, then they’re legends, too.”
In 1956, the young girl joined country star Red Foley for a show at the Bell Auditorium near her home in Augusta, and she belted out “Jambalaya,” by Hank Williams.
She was then signed to appear on Foley’s Ozark Jubilee, a country music show, where millions of viewers fell in love with the sassy 12-year-old whose talent was developed well beyond her age.
In the same year, Lee signed with Decca Records, and the next year, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and fusing country with rhythm and blues–highlighted by her hiccupping vocals–she recorded early rockabilly classics like “BIGELOW 6-200,” “Little Jonah,” and “Let’s Jump the Broomstick.”
When asked if–when as a young girl–she was nervous performing in front of large crowds, she answered: “No, not really. Nobody ever told me to be nervous. The stage always felt like a hometown to me because I had been in front of people ever since I was 3 years old, singing to people. So it was a very comfortable spot for me.”
In 1957, Lee earned the nickname “Little Miss Dynamite” for her pint-sized powerhouse recording of the song “Dynamite,” and in 1958, fans heard “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree,” a genre and generation-crossing holiday standard, released when she was only 13.
“I knew it was magical,” she told Rolling Stone.
Over the next couple of years, she charted with hits like “Sweet Nuthin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” and “Fool #1.”
Most of her songs, however, contradicted her experience as a young girl. Her mother didn’t let her date and she graduated high school not understanding the heartbreak of young love.
She was only 16 when she said “Love could be so cruel” in the song “I’m Sorry” and only 16 when she said “I want his lips to kiss me” in the song “I Want to be Wanted,” both back-to-back hits when she was still in school.
And when she turned 18, she met Ronnie Shacklett, whom she’s now been happily married to for 60 years.
Life on the road for Lee as a youngster had its difficulties. She celebrated her 12th birthday in Las Vegas and speaking with the Las Vegas Journal, Lee explained her loneliness.
“Of course, I wasn’t even allowed to walk through a casino, I was so young. So I didn’t even know what a casino looked like. They took me into the kitchen, then into the showroom. And then when my show was over, I was brought back out through the kitchen and back up to my room. Children weren’t allowed … in the casino area.” She continued, “There wasn’t anything to do in Vegas for a kid. The most fun I had was on the stage.”
Speaking on what she missed out on as a child, the award-winning Lee said, “Many times, I yearned to be with my friends rather than be out there on the road.”
Turns out she made new friends on the road, like with the music group that opened for her at a 1962 show in Germany. “I hung out with John,” she says effortlessly, speaking of John Lennon. “He was extremely intelligent, very acerbic with his jokes, just a gentle person. When I found out that they later said they were fans of my music, I was just floored.”
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Separate After 27 Years of Marriage and the Reason Is Unexpected
One of Hollywood’s longest lasting couples, Hugh Jackman, 54, and Deborra-Lee Jackman, 67, shocked audiences when they shared the news that they are going their separate ways. The duo, who share 2 children, have been together for half their lives and the reason for their soon-to-come divorce has been revealed, and it’s nothing like what people expected.
Hugh and Deborra-Lee met in 1995.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness met on the set of the Australian TV series Correlli in 1995, on the first day of the actor’s first job after drama school.
“She was a big star. Everyone loved Deb. I get picked up by the car and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I get in the backseat. She had sunglasses on, she took off her seatbelt, turned around and said ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-Lee Furness, nice to meet you.’ and I remember thinking, ‘I like this girl’.”
6 weeks into filming, Jackman noticed a man courting Deborra-Lee, and he thought “that man has a crush on her”. That’s when he realized he was actually jealous of the man, and he had a crush on her himself. A few days later, after not talking to her for one week, he confessed his feelings and to his surprise, she reciprocated; she told him she was also crushing on him and that’s how their love story began.
After 11 months of dating, Hugh and Deborra-Lee tied the knot.
Over the following years, the couple struggled with infertility and experienced many failed IVF attempts and sadly, multiple miscarriages, all of which were “particularly difficult on Deb,” Jackman shared. Becoming parents was always their plan, Jackman shared, “We thought we’d have a kid or two biologically and then adopt. But when we decided we’d had enough of IVF, we went ahead with adoption.”
In 2000, they adopted their eldest son, Oscar, now 23 years old, and their daughter Ava, in 2005, who recently turned 18.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee had a happy life together.
The two never missed a moment to show each other and the world how much they mean to each other. Every single year Jackman honored his wife by publicly sharing how much he loves her and fans always admired and gushed over the outpour of love.
In April 2023, on their 27th and last wedding anniversary, Jackman shared a loving tribute to his wife, stating, “27 YEARS! I love you so much, and together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.”
Just a few months later, one of Hollywood’s most loved duos announced their separation.
In a joint statement, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee announced, “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.
Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”
2023 brought many Hollywood couples to a stop, with many celebrities divorcing after years spent together. Another recent divorce was Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s and their reason, although different than the ex-Jackmans’, is equally devastating.
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