Front Row Classics is celebrating the legacy of the legendary Peggy Lee. Brandon is thrilled to welcome Lee's granddaughter, Holly Foster Wells. As President of Peggy Lee Associates, Holly manages every aspect of grandmother's estate. Brandon and Holly discuss Lee's origins and rise to fame. They also touch on many of the ways she took control of her own career and legacy. In the spirt of the season, Peggy's unsung contributions to the White Christmas soundtrack is also discussed.
As the granddaughter of singer/songwriter Peggy Lee, Holly Foster Wells had a colorful childhood. Though her home base was in Sun Valley, Idaho, Holly spent each summer, spring and holiday break with her grandmother, accompanying her as she toured some of the greatest performance venues both in the U.S. and abroad.
Seeing Holly’s love for the music of the Great American Songbook, it was always Peggy’s hope that Holly would one day manage the Peggy Lee musical legacy, but she realized that there were things that her granddaughter needed to accomplish before that could happen. Holly made a switch from the world of music to the world of television. She worked for the Carsey-Werner Company as a coordinator in production design on shows such as “Roseanne,” “The Cosby Show,” “Cybill” and “Third Rock From The Sun.”
While with Castle Rock Entertainment, Holly was thrilled to work on the final seasons of “Seinfeld” and “Caroline In The City” before moving over to NBC to work on the first season of “Will and Grace.” During the summers when the shows would go on hiatus, Holly would continue her adventures on the road with her grandmother, accompanying her to engagements in New York, Las Vegas and Washington D.C., the latter for a performance at the White House for then President Reagan and his guest, President Mitterand of France. In between her travels and studio work, Holly majored in Communication Arts at California Lutheran University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree there in1996.
In 1998, Holly left the world of television and began the job she’d been prepped for since childhood. As President of Peggy Lee Associates, LLC, Holly works with her “Peggy Lee team” on perpetuating the musical legacy of her grandmother.
In addition to handling the licensing of Peggy’s recordings, she also manages Denslow Music, Inc., the publishing company the Peggy Lee started in the 1940s with her then-husband and Holly’s grandfather, David Barbour.
“It is a real honor to work with my grandmother’s music and make sure it continues to be heard by the next generation of listeners. I love coming to work every day and hearing her sing. Each time I make a special deal or complete a project, I think of how it was her dream that I would do this. With her music and my passion for it, even with her gone, I know we are doing this together.”
Holly resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Dan, and their two sons. She has already started training them for the day that they will take over the family business.
You can find official content for Peggy Lee at the following handles:
Instagram: @peggyleeofficial
Facebook: @misspeggylee
TikTok: @peggylee
Threads: @peggyleeofficial
YouTube: @peggyleeofficial
