The ‘A Very Special Christmas’ holiday music series, benefiting Special Olympics, will celebrate its 25th anniversary this holiday season with the first ever release of two new albums on October 16, each on a different label.
A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS 25TH ANNIVERSARY on Big Machine Records will feature songs from Christina Aguilera, Francesca Battistelli, Michael Buble, Cheap Trick, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, One Republic, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Train, and Wonder Girls.
A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS: BRINGING PEACE ON EARTH on Word Records will feature songs from Meredith Andrews, Chris August, Francesca Battistelli, Big Daddy Weave, Jason Castro, Natalie Grant, Group 1 Crew, for KING & COUNTRY, Dara Maclean, Point of Grace, and Sidewalk Prophets.
Timothy P. Shriver (Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics), Scott Borchetta (President and CEO of Big Machine Label Group), Rod Riley (President and CEO of Word Entertainment), Jimmy Clark (Special Olympics athlete and Global Messenger), the Honorable Karl Dean (Mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County), Francesca Battistelli (chart-topping Christian crossover artist, Dove Award winner) and members of Train were on hand in Nashville at Blackbird Studios, where Train is recording “Joy to the World,” to make the announcement. The artists unveiled the artwork for the new projects, which incorporates the legendary Keith Haring Madonna & Child artwork used historically on the series.
“This album series has been a remarkable gift to our Special Olympics athletes,” said Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman and CEO, Special Olympics. “Thanks to the generosity of countless incredible people across the music industry, the legacy from the ‘A Very Special Christmas’ album series continues to support and sustain our work to bring the joy of sport to people with intellectual disabilities which in turn fosters a global community of acceptance and inclusion.”
Special Olympics changes lives through the power of sport, as the world’s largest organization dedicated to year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities.
Since 1987, the biggest and brightest voices in the recording industry have generously lent their time and talents to Special Olympics to create the holiday album series ‘A Very Special Christmas,’ the single most successful benefit recording series in musical history generating more than $100 million in royalties to benefit Special Olympics.
Grants from the Christmas Record Trust have enabled Special Olympics to implement programs worldwide, from the United States to Timor Leste, China to Uganda, Cambodia to Haiti and more. In the United States, these funds have also supported Special Olympics programs in urban areas such as New York City, Philadelphia and New Orleans.
Each successive album of the series has honored the quality of its predecessors with timeless recordings of holiday music by some of the most influential and talented artists of their time. U2, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Madonna, Sting, Bon Jovi, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, Wyclef Jean, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, No Doubt, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Vanessa Williams and Bryan Adams are among the stars who contributed tracks to previous albums and whose songs for ‘A Very Special Christmas’ have become perennial favorites on the radio and at holiday celebrations over the years. Learn more about ‘A Very Special Christmas’ at www.averyspecialchristmas.org.
