Monday, Dec.16, 2024 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport + Encore Sunday, Dec. 22 at Noon on KPBS TV
Prolific singer Brenda Lee’s iconic 1958 Christmas classic song “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” is a staple during the holiday season and has garnered international recognition and quintuple-platinum sales over the decades. But she is also known for hits spanning the rock, pop, country, and rockabilly music genres. Discover the story behind Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early life in poverty and childhood stardom shaped her artistry and rise to be one of the biggest female music acts in history in the new documentary AMERICAN MASTERS "Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around."
Featuring archival footage and stills, performance clips, and interviews with Lee herself, "Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around" details how the “I’m Sorry” singer helped pull her family out of poverty in rural Georgia with her knockout vocal talents, ultimately becoming one of the leading female headlining acts in music.
The star-studded film also features interviews with country artists Keith Urban, Tanya Tucker, and Trisha Yearwood, as well as singer-songwriter Pat Benatar, music producer Neil Giraldo, and beloved radio personality Shotgun Tom Kelly, co-host of SiriusXM’s 60s Gold radio show.
Born in the charity ward of Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital, by the age of 10 Lee was belting out country songs in a voice that belied her age and tiny stature and she quickly became a musical sensation. Her determination and shining talents led her to career highlights including popular radio hits “Sweet Nothin’s” and “Break It to Me Gently,” memorable friendships with fellow music titans Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley, and even working with the Beatles as her opening act in Hamburg, Germany in 1962.
Lee’s prolific artistry has been celebrated in the music world over the past six decades. She holds the distinction as the first woman to be inducted into both the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame and is also an esteemed member of the Pop Music Hall of Fame and Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Her lasting impact is especially evident to contemporary audiences every holiday season with the iconic song “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” which rose to popularity when it was featured in the 1990 Christmas classic "Home Alone" starring Macaulay Culkin. The song is a mainstay on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the month of December, and in 2023 it topped the Hot 100 for the first time, making Lee, at 79 years old, the oldest artist to reach number one in the chart’s history and one of the "Queens of Christmas” along with Mariah Carey.
Most recently, an A.I-generated Spanish-language version of the track, “Noche Buena y Navidad,” has expanded the song’s reach to even more audiences.
Her impact on musicians across several genres, including pop, hip-hop, soul, and R&B, is reflected in the works of many artists like Prince, Kanye West, Elton John, and Taylor Swift – with the latter previously stating that Lee is “the singer who mastered the sound of heartbreak.”
Produced and directed by Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker Barbara Hall, who is also the creative force behind AMERICAN MASTERS films "Charley Pride: I’m Just Me" and "Patsy Cline," as well as PBS GREAT PERFORMANCES tribute "Patsy Cline: Walkin’ After Midnight."
“I’ve celebrated many legendary artists throughout my career, and I’m thrilled to continue this love for our music greats with "Brenda Lee: Rockin’ Around,” said Hall. “Brenda Lee has been shaking up the music industry for decades. And with the holidays coming up, it’s such a wonderful time to shine a light on her accomplishments, especially her iconic song ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’”
