Johnny Cash hosted several Christmas specials during the height of his career. In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, he always invited friends along to celebrate with him. In 1978, Cash moved the production of his special to Los Angeles and it took a more Hollywood vibe. However, he still invited some of his fellow country stars to sing alongside him. For instance, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Steve Martin, and more appeared during the special.
Cash partnered with several people during the holiday special. However, one of the highlights of the night came when he and June Carter Cash invited Rita Coolidge and Kris Kristofferson out to sing “Christmas Time’s A-Comin’.” At the time both couples were married. Johnny and June would go on to be married until she passed away decades later. Coolidge and Kristofferson, on the other hand, were less than two years from divorce. However, the clip below shows two happy couples who are glad to celebrate the holiday season together.
Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Their Wives Cover a Country Christmas Classic
Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson are among many country artists who have recorded holiday songs. Seemingly every year, artists put a country spin on Yuletide classics. “Christmas Time’s A-Comin’,” is different, though. It started its life as a bluegrass song and has been recorded by countless artists over the years.
Benjamin “Tex” Logan wrote “Christmas Time’s A-Comin’.” Bill Monroe recorded the original version of the bluegrass Christmas standard in 1951. Since then Cash, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Rhonda Vincent, Sammy Kershaw, Diamond Rio, The Oak Ridge Boys, the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, the cast of The Waltons, and many more have recorded renditions of the song.
According to the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association, Logan and his bandmate played the song for Monroe backstage at a concert in 1951. Monroe liked the song and decided to cut it immediately. He originally wanted Logan to record the complicated fiddle part of the song. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the session. As a result, Gordon Terry worked out the part. When the session was over, Monroe called Logan to play the recording. Logan put his stamp of approval on the track and the rest is Christmas history.
