A Few of My Favorite Country Christmas Songs

As it is only a few days until Christmas, I have been getting into the holiday spirit by listening to some of my favorite Christmas songs. This year flew by really quickly, and I was having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, but the office is now abuzz with Christmas excitement and early deadlines. As I was typing the large stack letters to Santa for the paper’s Christmas edition, I would pop in some Christmas music to get me in the right spirit to type up the precious letters from the first graders in all of the area schools. It is always fun to see what the young children want for Christmas and how they spell things.

Part of the fun, and what makes the project so sweet, is I type the letters up as is, misspelled words, incorrect grammar and all. Parents always look forward to seeing their little ones letters in the paper each year. Many request toys for themselves, friends and siblings, as well as gifts for their parents. And nearly every single letter ended with the child saying he or she would leave milk and cookies for Santa.

Anyway, back to the Christmas music. I thought I would share a list of my favorite country Christmas songs and perhaps a little about why they are my favorite. With so many versions of the same Christmas songs out there, it is hard to pick a favorite, so I generally tend to go for the more original songs, rather than the recorded-for-the-umpteenth-time standards.

Here it goes:

Hard Candy Christmas - Dolly Parton - This classic is my all-time favorite. Although the song is a bit depressing, it isn’t Christmas for me until I hear it on the radio for the first time after Thanksgiving each year. That’s when I know its almost Christmas.

Louisiana Christmas Day - Aaron Neville: Being a Louisiana girl from Cajun country, this one by New Orleans native Aaron Neville is a fun, sing along favorite. I love blasting this one in the car around Christmas time. This one definitely puts me in the holiday spirit.

Christmas in Dixie - Alabama: A definite classic in my book. I always love hearing this one. Again, it isn’t Christmas until I’ve heard this one on the radio.

It Wasn’t His Child - Trisha Yearwood: This song, written by Skip Ewing, is perhaps one of my all-time holiday favorites. I love the story of the song, and Trisha sings it so beautifully with such genuine emotion, as only she can.

All I Want for Christmas is You - Vince Vance and the Valiants: This one is a definite favorite and one I look forward to hearing every year. The band is only known for this one song, and the female singer gives a powerhouse vocal performance.

Take a Walk Through Bethlehem - Trisha Yearwood: This modern tale about slowing down to remember the real reason for the season is another favorite of mine from Trisha’s Christmas cd, The Sweetest Gift.

Santa Claus is Back in Town - Trisha Yearwood: Trisha enlisted the help of her road band to record this Elvis Presley classic. She and the band let it rip blues style, and she growls like never before in this funky number.

There’s a New Kid in Town - Trisha Yearwood: Written by Keith Whitley, Don Cook and Curly Putnam, this song speaks about the birth of Jesus and tells the story of the three wise men in a more modern way.

The Christmas Song - Trisha Yearwood: I know there are way too many versions of this song out there, and none compare to Nat King Cole’s classic take, but in my opinion, Trisha’a rendition of this Christmas classic is right up there with the best of them.

Ave Maria - Wynonna: While not necessarily a Christmas song, I included this one because Wy gives a goosebump rasing rendition of this spiritual song. Who would have thought that the Divine Miss Wy could sound so beautiful singing in Latin?

Mary Did You Know - Wynonna and Kenny Rogers or Kathy Mattea - Both versions stand out, as Wynonna and Kathy each give such powerful and convincing readings of the same song. I can’t pick a favorite out of the two, although I do tend to gravitate more to the Wy/Kenny version.

The Christmas Guest - Reba McEntire: I love the story behind this spoken word song, and Reba gives such a wonderful, warm delivery, you can imagine the story unfolding before you as you listen to the words.

Christmas Time’s A Comin’ - Sammy Kershaw - Another rockin’ favorite from another Louisiana artist. This fun, zydeco-flavored tune is another favorite to listen to in the car to put me in the Christmas spirit.

O Holy Night - John Berry: Again, I am making an exception for this song. I have heard many, many versions of this classic song over the years, but every time I hear John Berry sing it, I get chills - it is that good. If it doesn’t move you, something is wrong with you.

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee: What Christmas song list would be complete without including this Brenda Lee classic? If this doesn’t get your feet moving and put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.

Well, there you have it, my list of my personal favorite country Christmas songs. Feel free to leave comments and share your favorites with me. Merry Christmas everyone!

And the Winners Were: A Recap of the 2007 CMA Awards

I know I’m really late with this, but the following is my recap of the 2007 CMA Awards. Enjoy!


The 41st Annual CMA Awards held November 7, was filled with many wonderful performances and few surprise winners. I really liked the multi-host format this year, and I hope the show is presented that way in the future. Most of the nominated artists gave stand out performances showcasing why they were nominated to begin with.

Performances:
Rascal Flatts opened the show, followed by first-time female vocalist nominee Miranda Lambert rockin’ the house with her newest single, “Gunpowder and Lead.” The Flatts boys also returned to the stage later in the show to perform with Jamie Foxx.

Despite slight audio problems, Horizon Award nominee Taylor Swift gave a bubbly performance of “Our Song.”

Among the performance highlights for me was the Brentwood High School Marching Band joining Brad Paisley for a performance of “Online,” along with his tour mates, Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler, who reprised their roles from the video and joined Brad on stage to dance around and just have a blast.
Sugarland took the stage right after snagging the “Brooks and Dunn Award,” and despite the initial shock of the win, Jennifer Nettles gave one of the most emotional and powerful performances of their latest hit, “Stay,” that I have seen to date.

Winning the prize for most emotional performance of the night was Horizon Award nominee Kellie Pickler, who sang the powerful “I Wonder,” a song written about her mother, who abandoned her as a young child and left her to be raised by her grandmother. When Kellie broke down at the end of the song, the crowd roared its support as she openly wept on stage, no doubt taking in the special moment of performing on the CMA stage as a first-time nominee in a major category.

In another great performance, Reba McEntire joined forces on stage with LeAnn Rimes to sing “When You Love Someone Like That” from Reba’s Duets release.

One performance I didn’t understand was Little Big Town performing “Boondocks.” I mean, I am a huge fan of the group, and that is the song with which I discovered them and became a fan of their amazing harmonies. However, the song was released nearly two years ago, and as vocal group and Horizon Award nominees, they should have been allowed to perform a song from their new cd, released the day before the awards telecast. Maybe it was their choice, I don’t know. Still, they gave a great performance showcasing their wonderful harmonies. I predict, if they keep up their current pace, there definitely will be a vocal group win for this deserving quartet in the very near future.

Of course, the most highly anticipated and buzzed about performance of the night belonged to the Eagles, who made their debut appearance on an award show after 30-plus years in the business. Despite the debate over whether or not they belonged on a country music award show, there is no denying this legendary group of southern rockers, at least in some small way, influenced the vast majority of today’s generation of country artists.

In a good move by the CMA, Dwight Yoakam paid tribute to late country legend and Opry star Porter Wagoner, as did Big and Rich, who dedicated their rousing performance to “The King of Bling.”

I have to admit, it was a great night highlighting some of the best country music has to offer.

Here is a recap of the winners at the 41st Annual CMA Awards:

Entertainer of the Year:
Kenny Chesney - Mr. Chesney garnered his third entertainer award in four years. Despite some stiff competition, he continues to dominate the touring aspect of the country music industy with sold out shows everywhere he plays, whether it be arenas or the larger NFL football stadiums.

Female Vocalist:
Carrie Underwood - No surprise here. Carrie has been the female vocalist to beat for the past couple of years. Her singles have consistenly gone to number one at a time when many female artists are struggling to get their songs into the top 10, much less number one. And with her sophomore release currently ruling the charts, while her debut album continues to make waves some two years later, she easily could be up for a three-peat next year.

Male Vocalist:
Brad Paisley - First-time winner Brad was both humbled and honored when his name was called. In his acceptance speech, he said, “I can’t tell you what this means to me to win this. I’ve always wanted to win this award at least once. This will do. It’s unbelievable to me to be in the company that I’m in with these fantastic men.” Note to Brad - With the roll you are on, you are bound to win this award again, as well as the coveted entertainer title, sometime in the future.

Vocal Group:
Rascal Flatts - Again, no surprise here. The Flatts boys continue to dominate this category with the undeniable success of their record sales, sold out shows and rabid fan base.

Vocal Duo:
Sugarland - In a huge upset in one of the strongest duo categories in recent history, Sugarland became only the second act to interrupt Brooks and Dunn’s 16-year reign as duo of the year, a streak that began in 1992. (The only other time Brooks and Dunn lost the title was back in 2000, when Montgomery Gentry took home the crystal trophy.) After the initial shock wore off, Jennifer Nettles and Kristina Bush thanked Brooks and Dunn by saying, “If we’re standing up here and we have this lofty view, it’s because we’re standing on the shoulders of giants, those people who have come before us...Brooks and Dunn, they always rock it out and they are so deserving. We are happy to be receiving this.” The crowd of peers and fans were just as shocked and excited for this deserving duo to win the award. I have been a big fan of Sugarland since the beginning, and having seen their high energy, rockin’ show live, I was very happy to see them acknowledged with a win in this category.

Horizon Award:
Taylor Swift - Was anyone surprised that 17-year-old teen sensation Taylor Swift was named this year’s Horizon Award winner? Anyone? She excitedly thanked the fans, radio and Brad Paisley, whom she opened for, before giving perhaps the best quote of the night, “This is definitely the highlight of my senior year.” However, since the CMAs, the young star received another huge honor in the form of her first Grammy nomination, a nod in the prestigious best new artist category, alongside the likes of troubled British R&B/pop diva Amy Winehouse.

Album of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)
It Just Comes Natural
George Strait
Producers: Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

Single of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)
“Before He Cheats”
Artist: Carrie Underwood
Producer: Mark Bright
19 Recordings Limited/Arista Records

I was not surprised at all to see this huge hit receive single of the year honors. This song ruled the top of the country charts for nearly a year before enjoying another long run over on the pop/ac charts.

Song of the Year: (Award goes to songwriter and publisher)
“Give It Away”
Songwriters: Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson
Publishers: Sony, ATV Tree, Mr. Bubba Music, Slow Run Music and EMI Blackwood

Musical Event:
“Find Out Who Your Friends Are”
Artists: Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney
Rocky Comfort Records, CO5

Music Video of the Year: (Award goes to artist and director)
“Online”
Artist: Brad Paisley
Director: Jason Alexander

I was very happy to see the CMA recognize this genius and hilarious video. Brad and company showed off their considerable comedic skills in this video parody.

Musician:
Randy Scruggs – Guitar

The only three categories I missed were the song, album and musical event categories. Don’t get me wrong, King George still has it and is very deserving, I just didn’t think he would win the song and album categories. And I thought the Reba McEntire/Kelly Clarkson duet was a total shoo-in for vocal collaboration. However, Tracy Lawrence’s collaboration with buddies Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney was a huge hit on country radio and had a very long chart run, earning Tracy his first number one single in several years. Having missed only those three categories, I guess you could say I did farely well with my picks this year.

With the CMAs over until next year, it is now time to get ready for the Grammys (February 10, 2008), which rarely showcase the country music categories during the live telecast, and the other two big country music award shows, the CMT Music Awards (April 14, 2008), and the ACMs (May 18, 2008). The ACMs are usually a precursor to the following CMAs and generally have very similar, if not identical, nominee lists in most categories. The Grammy nominations have already been announced (more on that in a future blog entry), and the CMT and ACM nominations should be announced sometime after the first of the year.

Hangin' With Carter's Chord

Remember this name: Carter’s Chord. Back in October, I had the opportunity to hang out with this very talented trio of sisters when they visited one of my local country stations on their radio tour promoting their upcoming debut single and cd release. When I was invited by one of the djs to go to the station and hang out on the tour bus with her and the group, I, of course, jumped at the chance, as experiences like this do not come along very often for the average country music fan.

I’ll be honest and admit I had never heard of them until then, so I looked them up on myspace and read their bio to learn a little about them and listened to the songs on their profile. As I listened to the tracks, I immediately became a fan and was in awe of their undeniable sibling harmonies. After listening to the songs and reading about them, I couldn’t wait to meet the girls and watch them perform.

Before the trio, made up of sisters Becky, Emily and Joanna Robertson, played for us, we watched a promotional video that showed the girls as young children growing up with musical parents and surrounded by music their entire lives. They have a unique connection to country music history, as their parents, Barny and Carter Robertson, both played with Waylon Jennings at the height of the Outlaw movement in the ‘70s as part of his band, the Waylors. After the Robertsons started their family, they moved to Nashville from California and reconnected with Jennings, and Waylon and his wife, Jessi Colter, soon became an influential part of the young girls’ lives. In fact, the sisters got their first taste of the recording studio as young children when they sang on Waylon’s children’s country album “Cowboys, Sisters, Rascals and Dirt,” which was produced by their father.

After playing a benefit honoring Waylon in 2005, the sisters were inspired to record a demo of songs they had written and began shopping it around Music City. The group soon caught the attention of none other than Toby Keith, and after a successful showcase for him on Valentine‘s Day in 2006, they were signed to his Show Dog Nashville label. With Toby at the helm, and their father co-producing on vocals, the sisters had a wonderful experience recording their first release. The album, which includes songs written by the sisters (together and individually) and their parents, as well as outside songs chosen for the project, allows the girls to trade leads and harmonies so all three have a chance to shine vocally.

Joanna, on their web site bio, explained how the sisters came up with the name Carter’s Chord. She said, “We’ve always liked the idea of a musical chord, a triad. And one day we were all sitting around thinking of what we could call ourselves, and one of us - we don’t even remember who - just out of the blue said ‘Carter’s Chord.’” Inspired by their mother and the idea of musical harmony, the name stuck and fits the trio of sisters perfectly.

After watching the video of their musical journey, they played several songs for us with just an acoustic guitar and keyboard. And sitting in the bus watching them play, with the keyboard practically in my lap, was an experience I will not soon forget. I have never before heard live music in such a tight, intimate setting; and these girls blew me away with their vocal abilities and beyond amazing sibling harmonies.

One of the songs they performed, and my personal favorite, “Young Love,” will be the group’s debut single. The song, which showcases middle sister Emily on lead vocals, is scheduled to be released to radio in mid-January, with their debut cd to follow. If their growing myspace following and initial response to the song is any indication, the single will be huge, and Carter’s Chord will be well on their way to a wonderful career in country music.

After they performed, I was able to hang out and chat with the girls for a few moments before they left for a show later that night. They were incredibly sweet, and after I told them about my own country music journalism aspirations, we had a great chat about Nashville and our love of the city and all things country music. And before I left, we took several photos and wished each other well in our country music goals.

It was a truly wonderful experience watching Carter’s Chord perform, and I cannot wait to pick up their debut release once it hits the shelves early next year. I am predicting huge things from these talented sisters in the near future.