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We all grew up listening to Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The song became an instant holiday classic for Brenda, who recorded the original version of the song when she was only 13 years old. The song was written in 1958 by one Johnny Marks, who was one of the most prolific Christmas songwriters of that era. He also wrote other classics we love this time of year, including “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Holly Jolly Christmas.” Marks approached Brenda Lee, after she had already garnered attention singing on local TV and radio, and the future Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Famer was stunned.
In a 2015 interview with The Tennessean, Brenda said, “I was only 12, and I had not had a lot of success in records, but for some reason, he heard me and wanted me to do it. And I did.” The song wasn’t recorded during the holidays, so Brenda’s producer, the legendary Owen Bradley, created a literal wonderland in the studio.
Brenda recalled that session: “When I walked into the studio, Owen had the lights way down low, the air conditioning was, I think, set on zero, and he had a Christmas tree and Christmas lights. I thought that was so special,” Lee said. Bradley really wanted the youngster to get into the holiday spirit, and she certainly did.
Decades later, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” is still one of the most played Christmas songs on the radio, across multiple formats, and it’s been remade dozens of times. Brenda has recalled many times how much that song changed her life and set her long career in motion at a very young age. There’s the story behind another all-time Christmas favorite you’ll hear on Big 95 KBGO—Central Texas’ Christmas Station.
