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S38E6: Brenda Lee: Rockin' Around | Clip

When Brenda Lee eloped with her husband

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Brenda Lee met her husband Ronnie Shacklett ​at the age of 17 while watching Jackie Wilson at the Nashville Fairgrounds Coliseum. She kept their engagement to herself for three months before telling anyone in her family. They eloped six months after meeting and have been married since 1963.

TRANSCRIPT

- [Narrator] She ended up going to Maplewood High School here, which is a public high school.

She really tried to have a normal life.

- One of my best friends was Rita Coolidge.

Rita went to high school and at that time she wasn't, she was singing, but not like later on.

I loved riding the school bus.

I loved the whole experience of public schools.

- Brenda has a lot of street smarts.

She's aware of what's going on.

She was a cheerleader in high school, so she was obviously well-liked.

- Rita Coolidge and I went to the old Nashville Fairgrounds Coliseum to see Jackie Wilson.

I was 17.

- Brenda had had enough of her band following her around while she tried to date.

- Rita and I, we were just talking and having a good time, and I look over and there's this drop-dead gorgeous guy over there and I said, "Rita, I wanna meet him."

She said, "Well, you've lost your mind.

You cannot go up and introduce yourself."

I said, "I'm not, I'm sending him a note."

So I wrote a note on there and I said, "Hi, my name is Brenda.

I'm going to England for the next three months, but here's my number, call me."

(jazz music) Well, I didn't hear from him, didn't hear from him.

Went to England, didn't hear from him.

Came back, got a call, we had a date.

Nice, nice date, met his parents, he met my mom.

We cruised Joanie's like everybody else did.

It's the first time I'd ever cruised anything.

So I did that because I didn't date and he was 6'4", so I really liked that part.

And he had a Corvette, that pretty much sealed the deal.

I kept the engagement ring in the box in my purse for three months before I ever said anything to anybody 'cause I was scared to death too, because number one, I was the breadwinner for a lot of people.

So I thought it's gonna wear a hole in the darn purse if I don't get it on my finger.

So finally, I got up enough courage and I told mama.

So we eloped.

Southern women especially are very go by the the rules and I didn't and that upset her.

And I'm sorry to this day about that.

(upbeat music)