Rock and Roll and Country Music Hall of Famer Brenda Lee is our own Queen of Christmas, as she celebrates the 65th Anniversary of her signature holiday classic, “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree.” She recorded and released the song in 1958 when she was just 13 years old. The song, which received a huge resurgence in the ‘90s film Home Alone, has been at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the holidays since 2019, and it could take over the top spot in the coming weeks.
Songwriter Johnny Marks (Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty The Snowman) wrote the song and Brenda was his first choice to record it. Brenda asked Marks how he came up with the idea of the song, and it was just by watching pine trees sway in the wind on a beach in New York. “It was written by a gentleman who has written just about every Christmas standard,” she says. “His name is Johnny Marks, and I asked him one time, I said, ‘How in the world did you write ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?’ And he said, ‘Well, I was laying on the beach (in New York) and I went to sleep,’ and he said, ‘I woke up and the pine trees were kind of swaying in the breeze.’ And he said, ‘All of a sudden, I thought about Christmas, and I watched them begin and they were kind of rockin’ and I thought about rockin’.’ And he said, ‘I just thought about a rockin’ Christmas, and then I changed it to where people might want to rock around the Christmas tree.’ And that’s kind of how it was born, and I’m lucky, so lucky that I was able to get that song.”
We asked her what it feels like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever recorded, and she said, “I don’t know how to answer the question of what’s it like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever. I’ll tell you what it’s like. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable. It’s a thankful feeling to the writers, to the musicians, to the producers and most of all, to the audience that went out and bought that song and still go out and buy that song, and you all have made it what it is. I sang it, but I had to have you to help me make it what it become, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Brenda has always been drawn to Christmas music, which dates back to when she was a little girl. “I guess what drew me to creating holiday music was when I was a little girl, that was the time that we got candy,” she says. “I was from a very poor background and my daddy would always bring home these little taffy things with four little things in it called kits, and we loved it, and then we decorated our tree with pictures out of the Sears catalog. And boy, did we have fun, and we played the radio and we listened to the music, and I just thought we were in Heaven.”
Besides her own Christmas recordings, her favorite holiday tunes include those by Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby. “I love to listen to Christmas music, and I’m so fortunate that I was able to have a Christmas song myself. But I love to listen to the classics, like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby and those people that were first and foremost in having the Christmas hits, so I feel lucky that I’m somewhat in their company.”
Some of her holiday traditions include making new memories and reminiscing about previous Christmases with her husband and daughters…but does NOT include her cooking in the kitchen. “My girls always say, ‘Mom, what are we doing for Christmas? Please don’t cook.’ So… (laughs) And they don’t mean it kindly. They mean, ‘Mom, please don’t,’” she says. “I’m not your greatest cook in the world, but we all get together and we sing, and we talk about our prior Christmases. We talk about people that we’ve lost and loved, and we wished that they were here, and we give thanks to our Lord. It’s a wonderful time. The gifts are secondary. It’s the getting together, and even though you get together the rest of the year, something magic happens at Christmas. And it’s just like, I don’t know what it is because I can’t explain magic, but I can tell you it is magic.”
Her favorite Christmas gifts are her family and friends, but she did say her engagement ring was probably her favorite present, even though she hid the fact she was engaged for several months. “My favorite Christmas gift, I think it was my engagement ring that I carried around in my purse for six months, because I didn’t want my mom (laughs) to know I was thinking about getting married, but it all wound up good. But I’ll tell you what – I think my favorite Christmas gift are my children, my husband, my friends, but most of all my God.”
Check out the official music video for “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” below. She just released the clip, featuring Trisha Yearwood and Tanya Tucker, THIS year.
Brenda Lee (drew her to Christmas music) OC: …in Heaven. :46
“Hey, I’m Brenda Lee, and I guess what drew me to creating holiday music was when I was a little girl, that was the time that we got candy. I was from a very poor background and my daddy would always bring home these little taffy things with four little things in it called kits, and we loved it, and then we decorated our tree with pictures out of the Sears catalog. And boy, did we have fun, and we played the radio and we listened to the music, and I just thought we were in Heaven.”
Brenda Lee (Christmas music) OC: …their company. :29
“Hey, this is Brenda Lee, and when Christmastime comes around, I love to listen to Christmas music, and I’m so fortunate that I was able to have a Christmas song myself. But I love to listen to the classics, like Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby and those people that were first and foremost in having the Christmas hits, so I feel lucky that I’m somewhat in their company.”
Brenda Lee (Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree) OC: …get that song. 1:04
“I’ll tell you a little bit about ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.’ (laughs) It was written by a gentleman who has written just about every Christmas standard. His name is Johnny Marx, and I asked him one time, I said, ‘How in the world did you write ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?’ And he said, ‘Well, I was laying on the beach (in New York) and I went to sleep,’ and he said, ‘I woke up and the pine trees were kind of swaying in the breeze.’ And he said, ‘All of a sudden, I thought about Christmas, and I watched them begin and they were kind of rockin’ and I thought about rockin’.’ And he said, ‘I just thought about a rockin’ Christmas, and then I changed it to where people might want to rock around the Christmas tree.’ And that’s kind of how it was born, and I’m lucky, so lucky that I was able to get that song.”
Brenda Lee (having one of the biggest holiday songs) OC: …my heart. :44
“I don’t know how to answer the question of what’s it like to have one of the biggest holiday songs ever. I’ll tell you what it’s like. It’s a feeling that’s indescribable. It’s a thankful feeling to the writers, to the musicians, to the producers and most of all, to the audience that went out and bought that song and still go out and buy that song, and you all have made it what it is. I sang it, but I had to have you to help me make it what it become, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Brenda Lee (Home Alone feat. Rockin’) OC: …hear it now. :28
“Somebody called me and said, ‘Hey Brenda, do you know there’s a movie out called ‘Home Alone?’ And did you know ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ is in it forever?’ And I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ They said, ‘No, it’s true!’ And I think that’s the catalyst that moved ‘Rockin’’ up and people all over the world hear it now.”
Brenda Lee (favorite Christmas movies) OC: …loved that! :17
“My favorite Christmas movie, and I don’t even know if I’m saying it right, was the little boy in ‘Home Alone.’ That was my favorite Christmas movie, or ‘White Christmas’ with Bing Crosby. That’s a classic. I loved that!”
Brenda Lee (Christmas traditions) OC: …it is magic. :52
“My girls always say, ‘Mom, what are we doing for Christmas? Please don’t cook.’ So… (laughs) And they don’t mean it kindly. They mean, ‘Mom, please don’t.’ I’m not your greatest cook in the world, but we all get together and we sing, and we talk about our prior Christmases. We talk about people that we’ve lost and loved, and we wished that they were here, and we give thanks to our Lord. It’s a wonderful time. The gifts are secondary. It’s the getting together, and even though you get together the rest of the year, something magic happens at Christmas. And it’s just like, I don’t know what it is because I can’t explain magic, but I can tell you it is magic.”
Brenda Lee (favorite Christmas gift) OC: …my God. :26
“My favorite Christmas gift, I think it was my engagement ring that I carried around in my purse for six months, because I didn’t want my mom (laughs) to know I was thinking about getting married, but it all wound up good. But I’ll tell you what – I think my favorite Christmas gift are my children, my husband, my friends, but most of all my God.”
