Brenda Lee Celebrates 80th Birthday With Friends At UMG Nashville Holiday Bash

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Trisha Yearwood, Brenda Lee and Cindy Mabe at Lee’s 80th birthday celebration. Photo: Chris Hollo

Brenda Lee celebrated a milestone birthday on Wednesday night (Dec. 11), ringing in her 80th with close friends and family at a holiday party thrown by UMG Nashville.

On hand for the festivities were Lee’s friends Nancy Jones, Retta Kelm, the Grand Ole Opry’s Gina Keltner, UMGN’s Cindy Mabe and Trisha Yearwood, who led the room in singing “Happy Birthday” to Little Miss Dynamite. Video messages from friends near and far also rolled in from Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Ringo Starr and more.

Brenda Lee at her 80th birthday celebration. Photo: Chris Hollo

“Brenda Lee is a national treasure and we are so lucky to get to be a part of her life,” says Mabe, UMGN Chair & CEO. “Celebrating 80 years is special for anyone but to get to celebrate 80 years of some of the greatest music ever made by a one-of-a-kind icon is not something we could miss. Brenda Lee is an extension of our legacy at UMGN and we are just so grateful to know her.”

Brenda Lee signed with the Decca Records label before her 12th birthday and went on to record such landmark hits as “Sweet Nothin’s,” “All Alone Am I,” “Break it to Me Gently” and “I’m Sorry.” Her best-loved hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” celebrated its 65th anniversary last year and continues to top the charts year after year.“Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” now also holds the record for the longest climb to the top of the Hot 100, as the Johnny Marks-written hit was released 65 years ago, when Lee was just 13. Then, at 79-years-old, Lee became the oldest woman to top the Hot 100, surpassing previous record-holders Cher (“Believe,” age 52) and Mariah Carey (“All I Want for Christmas is You,” age 53).

Lorie Hollabaugh
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