Brenda Lee is sitting inside her spacious Nashville home, sipping a glass of sweet tea and staring at dead friends. She shows off an autographed portrait of the Beatles from when the group opened for her at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, in 1962, then points to a wall, where a photo of a 12-year-old Lee dancing with Elvis hangs next to a framed gold necklace he gave her.
Next, she
This article originally appeared on www.rollingstone.com: Inside the Life of Brenda Lee, the Pop Heroine Next Door