It takes two very special people to take an Elvis Presley classic and transform it into something even more magical than the original, but Andrea Bocelli and star of both Happy’s Place and The Voice, Reba McEntire, did just that over 15 years ago.
This amazing performance occurred during the 2009 television event Andrea Bocelli & David Foster’s Christmas Special — and more than a decade-and-a-half later, we think it’s the perfect time to look back on the epic moment in all its holiday glory.
If either artist was nervous about performing alongside the other, we couldn’t tell. Bocelli showed off the impeccable tone and range that made him the world’s most recognizable Italian tenor, and McEntire brought the warmth and energy she does to every song. In fact, she stood toe-to-toe with Bocelli during some of the most powerful moments of “Blue Christmas.”
Bocelli’s iconic operatic vocals (that he’s passed on to his son) defy logic. They fit so perfectly alongside McEntire’s trademark country twang. It’s one of those combinations we never expected to work out so well, but the result is one of the most impressive duets we’ve heard. Their version of “Blue Christmas” is so transcendent, we’re wondering why the two legendary artists never recorded an album together. (Talk about a Christmas wish!)
Their harmonies were gorgeous, and thankfully, the performance was filled with many of them!
The above video is being shared far and wide on social media. In fact, even the Queen of Country Music herself shared the clip with her fans in an adorable throwback Instagram moment.
“#TBT… singing an Elvis classic alongside the incredible @andreabocelliofficial ❄️ #BlueChristmas,” McEntire said in a caption.
Reba McEntire during the Super Bowl LVIII Pregame & Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show press conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada; Andrea Bocelli attends the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Here’s what to know about “Blue Christmas”
Originally recorded by Doye O’Dell in 1948, Presley took “Blue Christmas” to new heights when he recorded his version in 1957 as part of his holiday album, Elvis’ Christmas Album. (We’ve gotta hand it to The King — he wasted no time giving that Christmas album a convoluted name.)
Although Presley’s version didn’t make much of a dent in the charts while the artist was still alive, the song has enjoyed renewed success lately. In early 2024, “Blue Christmas” cracked the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 nearly 70 years after its release!
As current trends indicate, the song is still as beloved as ever. In 2022, Garden & Gun named “Blue Christmas” one of the best parts of Elvis’ Christmas Album, saying, “Elvis injects a heightened version of his signature breathy drawl into lyrics about unrequited love” — something fans wholly agree with.
