Christmas Music
The singer’s plight and plea speak for themselves. This song by Charles Brown and Gene Redd was first released in 1960 and charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #76 in December 1961. The record sold more than one million copies and was awarded an RIAA gold record in 1968. It appeared on the Christmas singles chart for nine years and eventually went to #1 in 1972. There have been numerous covers, including versions by The Eagles, Jon Bon Jovi, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, Lady Antebeleum, Toby Keith, B.B. King, Fiona Apple, Martina McBride, James Brown, Pat Benatar, Etta James, Mariah Carey, B.B. King, The Platters, Kelly Clarkson, and Darius Rucker, and the list goes on…
Charles Brown was born Tony Russell Brown in Texas City, Texas. He was a pianist and a singer in many styles, including the blues, Texas blues, R&B, soul, and jazz.