Aretha Franklin and so many others continue to request her material.īrenda's first taste of Musical Theater was with Della Reese, who cast Brenda as one of the lead roles in her musical "The Message is in the Music". Shirley Brown of "Woman to Woman" fame has recorded three of Brenda's tunes. Composer, of the songs We Were There, and I Am Somebody from the stage play "We Were There", Brenda has also written songs for Bobby Womack, Mavis Staples and the Staples Singers, Pop Staples, Cliff Richard, The Manhattans, Gladys Night, Peaches and Herb, and recently a Platinum single with the artist formally known as Prince. Smith compliments "Brenda's voice is simply the most angelic voice I have ever heard". Brenda Lee was truly one of my teachers." Long time friend Mavis Staples affectionately says that Brenda Lee is a "Bad Montana", and the great singer Rev. I studied her records like I was in school. Fellow singer songwriter Teena Marie credits Brenda Lee Eager as an influence in developing her own style "The first time I heard Brenda Lee Eager I was sixteen years old and I was blown away by her range and yet sweet to ne. "Ooh, the way Brenda Lee Eager sings, OOH Baby", smiles the legendary Smokey Robinson. This seasoned vocalist has received accolades from some of the greatest entertainers in the business. Listening to Brenda singing with, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, Teena Marie, Donny Hathaway, Graham Nash, Ray Charles, Mavis Staples, StevieWonder, among many others, takes us back to a time when soul-filled singing, whether silky-smooth or raw and passionate, was the order of the day. She also wrote and performed in a one woman musical theatre show based on her own life, entitled 'Grace', which premiered in Los Angeles in 2010.Thi s incredible songstress and accomplished songwriter captivates audiences with a soulful delivery uniquely her own. Grace - the brenda lee eager story - 2010 In 2006, Brenda directed The Heaven on Earth (T.H.E.) Choir at the City of Angels Church in Culver City, California. She has also performed onstage, appearing in the musicals 'The Message is in the Music', (with Della Reese), and 'Wild Woman Blues', (with Maine Weldon). In 2000, Brenda released the album, 'Startin' Over' for the BMP imprint. She also penned the songs 'Why You Wanna Love Me Like That' for The Manhattans and songs for group 3 For 3 (guesting as vocalist on the group's 'My Beloved' in 1990).īrenda has been a background vocalist for many performers over the years, including: Grey & Hanks, Smokey Robinson, Bobby Womack, Carl Anderson ('Heavy Weather, in 1996), Norman Connors ('Easy Livin'), Ray Charles, Mavis Staples, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Graham Nash, Rodney Franklin, Teena Marie, Najee, Billy Mitchell, Nancy Wilson, Gerald Albright, Prince and Cliff Richard.Īs a songwriter, she has penned songs for the likes of Bobby Womack, the Staples Singers, Aretha Franklin, Cliff Richard, Gladys Knight, Shirley Brown and Prince. In the early Seventies, Brenda was part of the reverend Jesse Jackson's Operation Breadbasket Choir in Chicago.įurther solo singles followed her duets singles, including 'Good Old Fashioned Lovin'' (for the Playboy Records imprint in 1975) and 'Watch My Body Talk' (for the Private-I Records imprint in 1984). Jerry and Brenda then released a duet version of the Bacharach and David song '(They Long To Be) Close To You', which charted at number 8 on the R&B charts, number 91 on the national charts. Good old fashioned love b/w i'll get by - 1975 / watch my body talk b/w watch my body talk instr. The song was also awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A in April 1972. The single reached number 3 on the Billboard R&B chart and number 21 on the Hot 100, selling one million copies. In 1971, she began recording 45's with Jerry, which included her debut 45 'Ain't Understanding Mellow', which proved to be her biggest single to date. When she was 17, she sang at her first gig at the Kings Club in Prichard, Alabama.īrenda then relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where she soon began singing background vocals for Jerry Butler in the group Peaches.Īin't understanding mello b/w windy city soul - 1971 / i'm a lonely woman b/w in my world -1972 / the love we had - 1973 / when i'm with you b/w let me be - 1974 She spent her early years in the small town of Lower Peach Tree, where she sang in, and attended the local church.īrenda began songwriting at an early age, and had her own group in her teens. Brenda Lee Eager, 8th August 1947, Mobile, Alabama, U.S.A.īrenda Lee Eager hails from Mobile, Alabama.
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