Vintage Rock – September-October 2019

How did the post-Beatles British

Invasion feel like to deal with?

A lot of rock’n’roll artists were burnt by the

British Invasion. I wasn’t jealous of The

Beatles or anyone else. Instead I thought

they were great. It was a case of, ‘Come on

in, we each have our own place but teach

us what you know!’ In music, you never

stop learning.

What was it like as a woman in a mostly

male-dominated music industry?

That thought never entered my mind.

Everyone was competition, male or female.

I was an artist lover and like the rest of them,

trying to make it. I felt we were all a private

group trying to do our thing. Like comrades.

On tours – from the Dick Clark one in 1960

with Duane Eddy, Chubby Checker and

Fabian – I was usually the only female artist.

Having tasted fame so early, how did you

avoid going off the rails?

I would never have done that to my mother.

She was also always there, travelling with

me on the road, chaperoning me as I was so

young. I also married very young – not even

18, and started a family at 19. I guess I was

always grown-up for my age!

You fi rst toured the UK in March/April

1962 with Gene Vincent. What was

that like?

Gene Vincent was a sweet, sweet man,

very talented. In England, we were billed as

the ‘King and Queen Of Rock’n’Roll’.

We both liked that! I loved touring with

Gene. The second time I toured in ’63, I got

to Ireland and Scotland, and was supported

by The Bachelors, Tony Sheridan and

Mike Berry.

By late ’64, you were back in Britain,

leading a tour line-up including Manfred

Mann, Johnny Kidd And The Pirates,

The John Barry Seven, Wayne Fontana

& The Mindbenders, Marty Wilde, The

Tornadoes and Heinz. Any standout

stories there?

I remember in the ’64 tour, it included a

fun group, Nero & The Gladiators. True to

their name, they appeared gladiator-style

in sheets and ropes round the waist – they

dressed and really played the part [their

signature was a rocked-up version of In

The Hall Of The Mountain King]. Johnny

Kidd also dressed the part. Marty Wilde

was just a gent and very talented. It was

a peak time for me. Around then for several

years running, I won the New Musical

Express’ award as the number one

female vocalist.

Brenda poses with her plaque at the

Country Music Hall Of Fame &

Museum, 11 June, 2016

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Brenda Lee