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Arts & Culture

Great Performances: Rod Stewart: Merry Christmas, Baby

Legendary rocker Rod Stewart’s (pictured) first solo holiday special features 13 classic songs.
Courtesy of Penny Lancaster Stewart
Legendary rocker Rod Stewart’s (pictured) first solo holiday special features 13 classic songs.

Airs Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 9:30 p.m. on KPBS TV

Grammy Award®-winning, two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rod Stewart hosts his first holiday special, "Rod Stewart: Merry Christmas, Baby," on THIRTEEN’s GREAT PERFORMANCES beginning this December 2012 on PBS.

“I’ve always wanted to do a Christmas special,” Rod Stewart remarked. “And this was truly worth the wait because what we were able to accomplish is just beyond my wildest dreams.”

Stewart’s concert special was taped in September at the lush Villa de Leon, a private residence overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Palisades, Calif., near the famous Getty Villa, for which it is sometimes mistaken. It captures Stewart as he performs a collection of some of the most beloved holiday standards and traditional songs from his soon-to-be-released album also titled "Merry Christmas, Baby."

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Throughout the special, Stewart is joined by an incredible array of superstar artists, including Michael Bublé on “Winter Wonderland.” He is united with Mary J. Blige on “We Three Kings” and Cee-Lo Green on the title tune “Merry Christmas, Baby” featuring New Orleans’ favorite son, Trombone Shorty. “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” is a mesmerizing “virtual” duet with Ella Fitzgerald featuring Chris Botti.

Among the other holiday favorites are “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas,” “Blue Christmas,” “When You Wish Upon A Star,” “Silent Night” and “Auld Lang Syne.”

Stewart’s PBS concert special and album also feature a new, original track, “Red-Suited Super Man,” that’s destined to be a holiday classic and was composed by Rod Stewart, David Foster and Amy Foster.

David Foster, chairman, Verve Music Group, serves as producer and arranger of the "Merry Christmas, Baby" CD, which was released October 30, 2012. "Rod Stewart: Merry Christmas, Baby" is directed by Jim Gable and executive produced by Arnold Steifel.

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Watch Rod Stewart: Merry Christmas, Baby Preview on PBS. See more from Great Performances.

Legendary rocker Rod Stewart’s first solo holiday special, with songs produced by “Hitman” David Foster, features 13 classic songs, ranging from “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to “Auld Lang Syne,” and including duets with Michael Bublé (“Winter Wonderland”), Cee-Lo Green (“Merry Christmas, Baby”), Mary J. Blige (“We Three Kings”) and even Ella Fitzgerald (“What Are You Doing on New Year’s Eve?”).