Christmas Classics

Today in Music History: December 25, 1954

Christmas Day comes to a close with the spotlight on several Christmas melodies. The songs begin with the Bing Crosby classic that has been on the air and in homes for 60 years. There is probably not a Christmas ever when 'White Christmas' has not been sung by a choir or covered by a recording artist somewhere.

 1954 Bing Crosby's ‘White Christmas’ entered the Billboard Pop chart for the eleventh time. Bing's rendition has sold over 100 million copies around the world, with at least 50 million sales as singles. It was the largest selling single in music history until it was surpassed by Elton John's ‘Candle in the Wind 1997’.

 

1958 The first day of a 10 day residency in Alan Freed's Christmas rock n' roll spectacular in New York with Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley and The Everly Brothers.

A Touch of Sadness...

2008 American actress, singer, and cabaret star Eartha Kitt died from colon cancer at her Weston, Connecticut home at the age of 81. Best known for her 1953 Christmas song ‘Santa Baby’.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...