10 Things You Didn’t Know About Brenda Lee

Every December, Brenda Lee is remembered as the "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" singer, but to answer the question "Who is Brenda Lee?" you need to dive deeper.

Here are 10 things every country fan should know about the woman known as "Little Miss Dynamite."

Lee — who turns 79 on Monday (Dec. 11) — is a Georgia-raised singer who was famous before she was a teenager. In many ways, Taylor Swift never matched the kind of success she had on pop radio in the 1960s.

After that she'd become an iconic country hitmaker before eventually retiring. Those around during the 1960s, 70s and 80s would surely name her as an all-time great entertainer.

Honestly, she's still very entertaining and she's proving it in small ways. Lee's speech to induct Tanya Tucker into the Country Music Hall of Fame left the crowd rolling, and her surprise appearance at the 2023 All for the Hall concert brought a sold-out arena audience to its feet.

Sadly, you're unlikely to see very much of her going forward, as these kinds of appearances are few and far between.

Lee's traumatic childhood didn't hold her back, nor did the pressures of fame during her teen years. The diminutive singer is a favorite in country music circles who is still setting records. That fact is No. 1 on this list of Brenda Lee facts.