Christian: Brenda Lee, she is one of the greatest artists of Country Music. She is not only great in Country Music but also hit the Charts of Pop Music and other genres – as a matter of fact, I do not know what Charts she missed. Brenda, you will have a new CD which soon will be released. Please tell us some more about it.

Brenda: This new project is a Gospel Duet CD. I have been working on this project for the past three years which has finally come to fruition. The CD will be released on 10^th of April. I am very proud of this new CD. We have some wonderful artists involved on this project, singing with me.

Christian: There are not many people around that can say that they already are a living legend, but you are. Please tell us some more about the people that did duets with you on this new album – I have heard that people like Dolly Parton and George Jones were involved?

Brenda: There are many great artists on this album including Martina McBride, EmmyLou Harris, Allison Krause, Pam Tillis, Ronny Dunn, Kicks Brooks, Timothy Danies, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and also Huey Lewis on there.

Christian: All these artists pay you a lot of respect. Can you tell us how you have built that respect?

Brenda: I have always tried to be good, nice and kind to people. I do love the music world and the people in it. I think that is why people like me – I hope, because I do respect them as well. I believe that when you are kind and respectful, people will treat you the same way.

Christian: Can you tell our younger readers and listeners what brought you to Country Music and how you got started?

Brenda: My career in Country Music really did not start until 1971 but I started recording in 1956. I guess my first records you would call Rockabilly, then I was successful in Rock ‘n Roll and Pop throughout the 60ies. With the British invasion, Rock ‘n Roll and the whole face of music changed. In 1971 I went into the studio and recorded much the way that I always had – a Chris Christopherson song "Nobody Wins". We released it and it went into the Top Ten of the Country Charts and that is how I got into Country Music.

Christian: One of your biggest hits is "I Am Sorry" – can you tell us some more about it?

Brenda: The song was written by Ronny Self, a great writer, who also wrote the record I had released before "I Am Sorry", called "Sweet Nothings". I had held the song for about 3 years, because I was only 15 when I recorded it. My record company then thought I was still too young to record a song like that. But I believed so much in that song that I went ahead and recorded it and we released it and to date it has sold more than 15 million copies.

Christian: That really is awesome. It also is a big pleasure for me to have you hear for an interview and I can imagine that there is a lot of news which you would like to share with us. Is there something in particular that you would like to tell us?

Brenda: First of all I would like to thank all your readers for their support of my music and my career throughout all these years. I certainly could not be here without the help of all the fans. I hope that the readers also like this new gospel duet project and I am anxious to receive their feedback about it.

Christian: Brenda, you have been in this business for a long time now and you are on the road a lot of time. There are many good stories around you – can you share some of your experiences with us?

Brenda: I think the good stories about being on the road mainly depend on who you work with. Since I started my career at a very young age, I got to work together with great people, like Hank Williams, Patsy Kline, George Jones and Johnny Cash. I also have worked together with almost everybody in the Rock field including Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. I have worked with a lot of English artist as well that came over to the United States including the Beatles. My experience includes working with Jazz artists and Judy Garland and more. Another great thing about my career is that I got to travel and see the whole world.

Christian: When talking to some of the great artists you have just mentioned they often say that you gave them so much. How do you think that these people feel when they are on stage together with you or do recordings with you?

Brenda: I think some of them are quite nervous which I sometimes cannot believe because I think that they are such great artists and performers. But I myself do get a little nervous around some other artists as well – I think that is inside of us. Once you start singing and talking that goes away.

Christian: What inspired you to the new record?

Brenda: I really did this project out of love which I had promised my mother that I would do. She passed away just recently so I really wanted to do this for her. As a child, I was raised in the church – I did not have a radio or a record player, so the music that I heard was Gospel music. So my roots are in the Gospel music.

Christian: Which of the songs on your new album means the most to you and what is the story behind it?

Brenda: "Precious Memories" is a song that I love and which I did together with Pam Tillis. It was a song that my mother also liked especially and I had sung it at her funeral. I grew up with that song as a child.

Christian: Where can fans from outside the USA find information about you?

Christian: Brenda, what would be the person you would love to be on stage with the most – irregardless of whether the person is currently available or has already passed away.

Brenda: That is very hard to say as there are so many people I would want to work with. I would love to be on stage together with Elton John or Aerosmith for example.

Christian: Is there anything else that you would like to tell our listeners and readers as we come to the end of this interview?

Brenda: I just would like to take the opportunity and thank everyone again for their support through the years. It has really meant a lot to me and it is the reason for what I am doing.

Christian: Thank you, Brenda, for this great interview.