Your recording of Is It True b/w What’d
I Say in London in 1964 marked a radical
departure in style...
I was pleased with the new sound of this.
Produced by Mickey Most and featuring
this scorching guitar solo by someone
barely 17 years old, I was amazed he could
do it. That was the very talented Jimmy
Page. Did we keep in touch? I would have
liked to have done but never knew how to
get in touch with him. I’ve certainly seen
him play with Led Zeppelin. I’ve watched
Jimmy’s progress with interest. I go and see
everyone. I am a music fan. I try to always
learn, you never stop learning. It may be a
step, a hand movement, a lyric, a fashion.
As an attractive, talented singer, didn’t
you cross-over into acting?
I did one movie and found out very quickly
WHEN THE
BEATLES
OPENED
FOR
BRENDA
IT WAS A MUTUAL
APPRECIATIONBrenda ‘loved’ the Fab Four, and had a
special mutual appreciation with John
Lennon – her ‘favourite, unique’ Beatle.
Lennon was already a fan of Lee, having
previously declared: “Brenda has the
greatest rock’n’roll voice of them all.”
As for their famous support slot at
Hamburg’s Star Club in 1962, Brenda
recalls: “I remember standing backstage
listening to them sing songs I’d never
even heard before. When they came off ,
I said to John, ‘Where do you get those
new songs?’ He said that they wrote
them. I knew then that they were special.
It was like witnessing the birth of the
next diff erent music to come. I asked
John could I take a tape of I Want To Hold
Your Hand back. I also took a picture of
them – they were still dressed like Teddy
Boys in drapes at this stage. Back in New
York at the Decca offi ces, I played the
demo for my management: ‘That sound
will never happen here, nor will that
look,’ they said. Less than a year later,
they swept everybody off the chart. The
only artists who survived their onslaught
were Elvis, Ray Charles and myself.”“I DID ONE MOVIE
AND FOUND OUT
VERY QUICKLY THAT
WAS NOT MY FORTE,SO NEVER DID
ANYTHING ELSE”that was not my forte, so never did anything
else. It was The Two Little Bears featuring
Speak To Me Pretty – a hit in the UK, so at
least I got something out of it. I’m used to a
response from people, not a little red camera
eye. I might have had a better time with
musicals. I enjoyed summer stock [theatre]
playing Judy Garland’s part in The Wizard
Of Oz, and Bye Bye Birdie.By the 1970s, did it feel a natural
progression to revert back to doing
country music?
Here’s what happened. I was still recording
exactly the same [type of ] material as All
Alone Am I, Break It To Me Gently, and I’m
Sorry. I recorded the song Nobody Wins and
it went to No.1 in the country charts. I guess
I didn’t change but the criterion of pop and
rock did.What do you think of music today?
I wish it was more real. I like honesty. Sing
on stage with truth and feeling even if you
hit a bad note, I don’t care. Very prevalent
in the States is the use of ‘Pro Tools’ – a kind
of toolbox the sound people can tune you
with to make you sound better. Personally, I
think that’s cheating. As for the music shows
like The X Factor and American Idol, in one
way it’s the new breed of talent show, in
another it’s too uniform. Sometimes under
those circumstances you might be Pavarotti- or you might be having a bad night. The
format’s a little harsh for my liking. The
old way of touring gave you a well-rounded
experience – that and learning from the
greats. I don’t understand this quickly
getting into it just to achieve fame.
Now married for 56 years, what’s your
secret to an enduring showbiz marriage?
My husband always had his own identity- he was a businessman and not in the
industry. Very understanding about my
career. I don’t think I would have had a
successful marriage to another entertainer.
You’re 74 now. How do you spend
your time?With my children and grandchildren,
and friends who have nothing to do with
showbiz. I like to help people who need
help, so I work with charity organisations.
I also enjoy my work with the Country
Music Hall Of Fame, such as handing out
the annual inductions. This year I’m very
excited as my producer Owen Bradley’s son
Jerry is going in – he discovered Alabama
and The Outlaws.Do you intend to continue performing?
I retired this year – technically, you’re the
fi rst to know! I could be persuaded to come
back to England where I made it fi rst.
I love that, and that the fans always stayed
loyal, even when I had no recordings out. It’s
like how they remember Elvis still, they still
remember me.Brenda Lee