Carly Pearce, who earlier this month was crowned CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, gave a stirring performance of “O Holy Night” as part of last night’s (29) 12th annual holiday special from the Country Music Association, CMA Country Christmas. The show aired in primetime across the US on ABC.
Pearce’s version of the carol from the special has immediately been released and is now available to stream and download. She will be one of Kenny Chesney’s special guests on his Here and Now 2022 tour, due to start on April 23 in Tampa and also featuring fellow chart-toppers Old Dominion and Dan + Shay.
Pearce and Gabby Barrett co-hosted the show for the first time and starred in it alongside Jimmie Allen with Louis York & the Shindellas, BRELAND, Brett Eldredge, Lady A, Pistol Annies, Carrie Underwood, and Lainey Wilson. Barrett, who recently won an American Music Award for favorite female country artist, gave her rendition of “Silent Night,” accompanied by her husband Cade Foehner on guitar.
She and Pearce were also accompanied by two student musicians, Nashville School of the Arts’ Truman Eltringham (aged 17) and FH Jenkins Preparatory School’s Carter Hammonds (8) to sing “Sleigh Ride” in support of the CMA’s commitment to supporting music education.
Also during the festive hour, Allen sang his 2020 release “What Does Christmas Mean” with Louis York & The Shindellas. Allen and York co-wrote the number. BRELAND’s contribution was a version of “The Christmas Song” while Eldredge sang “Merry Christmas Baby” and Lady A did “Christmas Through Your Eyes”.
Pistol Annies sang “Snow Globe,” a new composition by the group’s Angaleena Presley, Ashley Monroe, and Miranda Lambert, featured on their just-released festive colllection Hell of a Holiday. Last night’s show also Underwood singing “Mary, Did You Know?”, which is on her 2020 holiday release My Gift, while Lainey Wilson served up “Christmas Cookies.”
Buy or stream Carly Pearce’s “O Holy Night (Live From CMA Country Christmas 2021).”
