Christmas songs from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and elsewhere
Since we love listening to Christmas music and we know a lot of others do too, we thought we’d share some Christmas songs with you, some of them from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, or from other places.
One of our very favorite is ‘Little Drummer Boy’ by Chris Golden, and this Christmas song seems so appropriate because Chris Golden is a drummer with the Oak Ridge Boys and he recently filled in for his father William Lee Golden on stage with his drums, to sing ‘Thank God for Kids’.
Since Chris Golden’s father William Lee Golden was ‘under the weather’, when Chris filled in on this Oak Ridge Boys song, he did it while playing his drums, it just seems so fitting to hear Chris singing ‘Little Drummer Boy’ and he gives a marvelous rendition of this old favorite Christmas song.
Here is a link to ‘Little Drummer Boy’ from Chris Golden’s Christmas 2008 CD and then a link to the night Chris Golden filled in for his father onstage with ‘Thank God for Kids’. We think you will like it too.
We are friends with Chris Golden on Facebook and here is what he wrote about his own version of ‘Little Drummer Boy’ on YouTube.
“This is from my 2008 Christmas CD simply called “Merry Christmas”. This holiday CD makes an excellent stocking stuffer and is available at www.chrisgolden.net or you can download the music only on iTunes.”
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We like this one by the one and only, Little Jimmy Dickens, one of our very favorite Grand Ole Opry performers as he sings this song. We found it on Youtube after hearing it played by DJ Eddie Stubbs on WSM AM 650 radio in Nashville recently.
James Cecil Dickens (born December 19, 1920), better known as Little Jimmy Dickens
Little Jimmy Dickens: ‘There’s No Place Like Home at Christmas’
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We well remember Johnny Horton and his ‘Battle of New Orleans’ and recall the tragedy of his premature passing from an automobile accident. We did not recall hearing this Christmas song by Johnny Horton, which we recently found on YouTube.
Johnny Horton
John Gale “Johnny” Horton (April 30, 1925-November 5, 1960)
Johnny Horton: They Shined Up Rudolph’s Nose (1959)
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John Denver was a well-versed performer who died in a plane crash, leaving this world before his time. He left behind a huge legacy of songs that we remember well. But I don’t think we knew much of this particular Christmas song he did.
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver,
John Denver: Christmas for Cowboys (1975)
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We recall Billy Haley and his Comets from the early days of Rock ‘N’ Roll, but we didn’t remember him singing this Christmas song which is on YouTube.
Bill Haley
William John Clifton “Bill” Haley (July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981)
Bill Haley: Rockin Around the Christmas Tree
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Ahhh. The King. What more can we say? We loved his ‘Blue Christmas’ as well as most anything else that Elvis sang. But especially we like his version of ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ as it reminds us of our own homecoming for the holidays when our parents were still with us.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley, (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)
Elvis Presley: I’ll Be Home For Christmas
This was found after a ‘whole lotta’ searching….seems so many people are putting videos on YouTube with the name attached but it is not the right singer….
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We are more amazed at this awesome singer every time we hear her voice go up another octave or so. Think maybe we could just listen to Carrie Underwood ‘forever and forever, amen!’
Carrie Underwood: Do You Hear What I Hear?
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Here are The Whites with ‘Hangin’ Around the Mistletoe’ Live at the Grand Ole Opry, introduced by Ricky Skaggs. We love Mr. Buck White’s part in this with his girls, Sharon, Sheryl and Rosie, who make up ‘The Whites’.
The Whites: ‘Hangin’ Around the Mistletoe’
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Next we see Ricky Skaggs introduce his niece Rachel Leftwich, and his daughter, Molly Skaggs, and his son, Luke Skaggs. These three sing ‘What Child is This’ a very moving rendition of this popular song, there on the Grand Ole Opry stage.
Rachel Leftwich, Molly Skaggs, and Luke Skaggs: What Child is This?
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Then we hear Ricky Skaggs himself, with ‘Let It Snow’ from the stage of the Grand Ole Opry – We have always loved listening to Ricky Skaggs and this is a good Christmas song from him.
Ricky Skaggs: Let it Snow
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Here you will find the one and only Miss Dolly Parton and her own Christmas song. We could listen to Dolly Parton songs all day and all night, she is that great a singer.
Dolly Parton: Smoky Mountain Christmas
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And the one and only Miss Loretta Lynn. We love watching Loretta Lynn who still carries with her a presence unmatched by any other country singer that we’ve known.
Loretta Lynn: A Good Ol’ Country Christmas (1966)
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We well remember Roger Miller and ‘Dang Me’ and ‘King of the Road’ and ‘You can’t rollerskate in a Buffalo herd’….but here he is with a Christmas song written for his son, ‘Old Toy Trains’. Roger Miller had a rare talent with words, and it was a talent unsurpassed by many of his time or yet to come.
Roger Dean Miller (January 2, 1936 – October 25, 1992)
Roger Miller: “Old Toy Trains” 1967
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That completes this listing of our own choices of some Christmas songs and Christmas music from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and from other places as well.
We hope you enjoy listening to this Christmas songs as much as we did.
Merry Christmas!