The 2019 Christmas 4 Kids concert was held at the Ryman Auditorium, with Phil Vassar headlining an evening of fan-favorite hits and holiday classics. The all-star lineup also included Lonestar, Matt Ramsey of Old Dominion, Jamie O’Neal, Olivia Ooms, Craig Wiseman, Jeffrey Steele and Adley Stump, of the online sensation The Adley Show, who also hosted the event.
On Dec. 16 there’s a Tour Bus Show at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Hendersonville, Tenn. For $5 (or $20 for a family) fans can come out and visit the luxury tour buses of the country stars, take photos and get autographs. The proceeds from the concert and the bus tour fund a special Christmas 4 Kids the following day.
The special day consists of a chauffeured trip from their school aboard an entertainer’s luxury tour bus, dinner, and a party hosted by Santa and Mrs. Claus. To wrap up the day, the tour buses journey to the Hendersonville, Tennessee Walmart where the children receive a brand-new winter coat, and $175 to spend however they choose. There’s still time to sponsor a child at www.Christmas4Kids.org
What are your favorite Country Music Christmas songs? There are many lists you can find online, but everyone has their own favorites… their own ‘best’ Country Christmas songs. So, what which are your favorites and why?
Taste of Country posted their ‘Top 50 Christmas Songs.’ Here are their Top Ten:
“Christmas Cookies,” George Strait
“Mary, Did You Know” Kenny Rogers
“Born on Christmas Day” Brad Paisley
“Hard Candy Christmas” Dolly Parton
“Where Are You Christmas” Faith Hill
“Blue Christmas” Elvis Presley
“Rudolph the Red-Nosaed Reindeer” Gene Autry
“Christmas in Dixie” Alabama
“If We Make It Through December” Merle Haggard
“Let It Be Christmas” Alan Jackson
- Brad Paisley’s “Born on Christmas Day” is actually a duet with himself, singing with a recording of himself as a teenager on a song he wrote when he was only 13.
- Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” can be found on his 1957 LP, Elvis’ Christmas Album, still the best-selling Christmas album of all time. “
You can find Taste of Country’s full list of their top 50 Country songs and interesting facts about each one at https://tasteofcountry.com/country-christmas-songs/
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I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: Her middle name is Brianne and she was born in Forth Worth, Texas, in 1982. She wanted to be a marine biologist… until she saw the movie Jaws! After winning a major TV talent show, her debut album, Thankful, went double platinum. Can you name this talented lady?
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Dierks Bentley just celebrated his 19th No. 1 single. The party was held December 5th in Nashville for the song, “Living.” Dierks celebrated with co-writers Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley and Jon Nite. “Living” was Ashley Gorley’s forty-third No. 1. (Since “Living” topped the charts, Ashley has added two more, bringing his total to an incredible forty five number ones!) “Living” is the third No. 1 single from Dierks’ album, The Mountain, the previous two number ones being “Woman Amen” and “Burning Man,” a collaboration with Brothers Osborne.
Most country music fans who come to Nashville want to visit the Bluebird Café, even more so since the Bluebird was featured prominently in the TV series, Nashville. Many fans are surprised that it is not anywhere near Music Row; the Bluebird is in a strip mall in Green Hills on the southern edge of Nashville and is quite small, seating around 90 people. A new documentary movie, titled Bluebird, has just been released on digital platforms including iTunes and Amazon, and will be available as a DVD/Blu-ray in January. For 37 years, the Bluebird Café has been the place to hear songwriters perform the songs they’ve written, and was where Garth Brooks, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift first found an audience.
- The concept of songwriters performing ‘in the round’ supposedly began when three songwriters – Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz and Fred Knobloch – decided to sit facing each other in a circle in the middle of the room, instead of on the tiny stage at the Bluebird.
Blake Shelton’s new album drops Dec. 13. Titled Fully Loaded: God’s Country, it’s a mix of recent hits and five new songs. His most recent No. 1, “God’s Country,” is included, along with “Hell Right” (a duet with Trace Adkins), “Nobody But You” (a duet with Gwen Stefani) and “Jesus Got a Tight Grip.” Among the earlier hits on the album: “I’ll Name the Dogs,” “A Guy With a Girl” and “Every Time I Hear That Song.” I was at the No. 1 party for “God’s Country” when Blake said the song changed his life and motivated him to record a new album. In February, Blake heads out on his Friends and Heroes 2020 Tour. Joining Blake on the tour will be Lauren Alaina, along with the Bellamy Brothers, John Anderson and Trace Adkins who were on the road with Blake on his 2019 Friends and Heroes Tour.
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“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: That’s Kelly Brianne Clarkson. The ‘talent show’ she won was the first season of American Idol. has sold over 25 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide. She has had 27 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with three number one songs and eleven in the Top 10. She currently serves as a coach on the competition series The Voice and hosts the variety talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show.
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On this day in Country Music
Dec. 11,1977 Willie Nelson went into the studio and recorded some pop standards for album that would be titled Stardust, produced by Booker T. Jones (of Booker T and the MGs). The top guys at Columbia Records didn’t even want to release the album because it was nothing like his previous hit albums and they did not promote it heavily. However, when it was finally released, it was on Billboard’s Country Album charts for ten years!
This week’s Country Music Birthdays
December 11 Brenda Lee, 1944
December 13 Randy Owen (Alabama), 1949
John Anderson, 1954
Taylor Swift, 1989
December 14 Charlie Rich, 1932 (died 7/25/1995)
December 16 Jeff Carson, 1963
Preshias Harris is the author of “I Know Country” with 366 daily country music questions and answers. You can buy and instantly download your e-book copy at www.IKnowCountry.com.
Harris is also a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Visit www.collegeofsongology.com for more details. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com
