Little Miss Dynamite: The Life and Times of Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee is one of those inescapable musical personalities known primarily for a seasonal hit record no longer than two minutes long yet still a recognizable name 40 years after its release. That hit, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," was recorded when she was only 16 and remains a joyous expression of rock's formative years. With Oermann, editor at large for Country Music magazine, and Clay, the singer's daughter, Lee fleshes out her years in the entertainment business. Born in a Georgia tarpaper shack, she quickly became a child star among the musical elite of her time and suffered the usual show business pitfalls a bad manager, brushes with financial ruin, and illness. Unfortunately, the details of Lee's first-rate rockabilly recordings of the early 1960s are largely passed over in favor of more sensationalistic matters. After her brief pop career, Lee made a big name for herself in country music, so libraries in the South may experience demand. Popular music collections with concentrations on women in music can consider, but others will probably pass. Caroline Dadas, Hickory Hills, ILCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.