American Masters

Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.

Brenda Lee made appearances on television, radio and live shows all before she even signed a record deal. Her performances on "Ozark Jubilee" starring Red Foley at just 10 years old caught the eyes of executives at Decca Records, with whom she would eventually sign.

Singer Brenda Lee was making broadcast appearances as a teenager during the golden age of television. These are 3 of her most notable performances from Jubilee USA, also known as Ozark Jubilee, a 1950s TV show that featured country music's top stars of the day. Here she performs with Red Foley and Snooky Lanson.

Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” written by Johnny Marx, when she was 12 years old. The song received a boost thanks to its inclusion in the classic holiday movie "Home Alone." Brenda became the oldest woman to reach #1 on the Top 100 Billboard Charts when “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” charted in 2023.

Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.

Owen Bradley, producer at Decca Records, took Brenda Lee under his wing and became both a musical mentor and a life mentor to her. "Owen credited Brenda with really showing that pop music could be done in Nashville," said music historian Alan Stoker.

Discover the story behind singer Brenda Lee’s iconic songs and explore how her early fame and life of poverty shaped her artistry across pop, rock ‘n’ roll and country. Known for her Christmas classic and Billboard hit “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” she is still a force in music today. The film features interviews with Keith Urban, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and many others.

Brenda Lee began working as a professional singer at just eight years old to support her family. She made waves throughout her career in a variety of genres including pop, country and rock.

"I loved to sing, and I didn't care if anybody listened," said Brenda. "I would sing all day long if they had let me. I loved it. Still do."

Brenda Lee met her husband Ronnie Shacklett ​at the age of 17 while watching Jackie Wilson at the Nashville Fairgrounds Coliseum. She kept their engagement to herself for three months before telling anyone in her family. They eloped six months after meeting and have been married since 1963.

While at the Yaddo writing retreat, Julia Alvarez found herself suffering from writers block. Inspiration struck when she befriended the maids, housekeepers and cooks and heard their stories, and eventually put together her book of poetry, "Housekeeping." "I wanted to write about the lore that comes when women are talking as they're doing their housework," said Alvarez.

Writing "In the Time of the Butterflies," Julia Alvarez felt a responsibility to bring the story of the assassination of the Mirabel sisters to life through her characters, stating that "a novel is the truth according to character."

Julia Alvarez released "Afterlife" in 2020, about a woman dealing with her husband's unexpected death and meeting an undocumented teenager. The book was dedicated to her oldest sister, Maury, who died in 2015, and was Alvarez's way of "[giving] voice to that landscape of aging."