Santa Claus has a few anointed elves in the music industry who annually – and festively- spread Christmas cheer wherever they go each holiday season. In Nashville, that list includes Mr. Christmas Brett Eldredge. Little Drummer Boys (or big drummer men) For King & Country, who have a new movie in theaters this week and will be in residency at the Grand Ole Opry House this month are on the list. Vince Gill and Amy Grant in residency at Ryman Auditorium are most definitely Santa’s Music City helpers. And then there’s Kelly Clarkson, who doesn’t reside in Nashville at all anymore. But we still happily claim her.
Clarkson‘s Christmas albums include Wrapped in Red and When Christmas Comes Around … . She’s dueted on Christmas songs with some of the biggest names in Nashville, including Eldredge, Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire. With Christmas credentials like those, she’s surely in line for lead elf. And while Mariah Carey most certainly holds the “Queen of Christmas” title, Clarkson certainly isn’t far behind.
Videos by American Songwriter
Four Kelly Clarkson Memorable Yuletide Performances
Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood & Reba McEntire – “Silent Night”: Why save the best for last when it can go first? Does it get any better than Kelly Clarkson with Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood on a tried and true Christmas classic? The women collaborate with the giving spirit that permeates the Christmas season, taking turns on lines, backing each other up, and genuinely smiling in love and appreciation at their counterparts. This trio embodies the best parts of Christmas in just over four minutes.
Kelly Clarkson & Brett Eldredge, “Under the Mistletoe (The Original Santa Claus Parade)”: This flirty performance originally aired in 2020 during the live broadcast of the 88th annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center. Clarkson’s powerhouse vocals pair well with Eldredge’s crooner style. Eldredge doesn’t match her note-for-note, but he’s the smoke to her vocal fire.
Clarkson and Grande are evenly matched members of the we-can-sing-anything sisterhood. They go note for sweet note on this song in a way that doesn’t feel competitive but serves the music and each other. The performance happened during Clarkson’s Kellyoke segment on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Kelly Clarkson & Wynonna – Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Live from NBC’s Christmas at the Opry): These two powerhouse singers put their distinct spin on the kids’ Christmas classic. Clarkson has the generous gift of taking any song and making it her own without stepping on or overshadowing her duet partner. In this song, the women’s vocal stylings vary substantially but still manage to fit as if someone designed them to go together –which they probably did.
(Photo by: Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
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