Chris Stapleton and H.E.R. Team Up for Soulful Holiday Collab to Celebrate National Christmas Tree Lighting

Chris Stapleton and H.E.R. joined forces for an epic collaboration during Sunday evening’s (Dec. 5) National Christmas Tree Lighting special. …

Lauren Jo Black

| Posted on

December 5, 2021

8:35 pm

Chris Stapleton and H.E.R.; Photo Courtesy Mary Kouw/CBS

Chris Stapleton and H.E.R. joined forces for an epic collaboration during Sunday evening’s (Dec. 5) National Christmas Tree Lighting special.

Pretaped from the Nation’s Capitol, the GRAMMY award winners performed Donny Hathaway’s 1970 holiday hit, “This Christmas.”

The R&B songstress traded her signature guitar for the piano, while Stapleton riffed an electric guitar throughout their performance alongside the U.S. Army Band Downrange. Surrounded by festive decorations, the superstars performed the holiday classic as President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden watched from afar.

Watch their performance below.

TONIGHT! Watch my performance with @ChrisStapleton at The 99th National Christmas Tree Lighting happening at 8:30PM ET/8:00PM PT on @CBS. #NationalTreeLighting pic.twitter.com/4XWpSAZx1n

— H.E.R. (@HERMusicx) December 5, 2021

Stapleton and H.E.R. previously shared the stage earlier this year for a duet of “Hold On” during the 2021 CMT Music Awards in early June.

Hosted by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee LL COOL J, The National Christmas Tree Lighting originally aired on CBS on Sunday, Dec. 5.

The annual holiday special was presented by the National Park Service (NPS) and National Park Foundation (NPF) and featured performances by Billy Porter, Juanes, Keb’ Mo’, Kristin Chenoweth, Maren Morris and Patti LaBelle.

The star-studded special highlighted the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in President’s Park in Washington, D.C. and also showcased performances by the U.S. Army Band Downrange and the Howard Gospel Choir.

Written by

Lauren Jo Black

Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.