Sterling Whitaker is a Nashville-based musician and music journalist. He is the author of two books: 'Unsung Heroes of Rock Guitar' and 'The Grand Delusion: The Unauthorized True Story of Styx.' He has appeared as a guest on VH1, BBC Radio and radio all over North America. Whitaker is also very involved in animal rescue.
Sterling Whitaker
No. 32: Garth Brooks, ‘Santa Looked a Lot Like Daddy’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Country music was caught firmly in the grip of Garthmania in 1992, when Garth Brooks decided to release his first Christmas album.
A breakout star in country at the time, Brooks titled his holiday release 'Beyond the Season,' a collection of holiday standards that included such appropriately earnest fare as 'Go Tell It on the Mountain,' 'Silent Night' and 'What Child Is This...
Blake Shelton’s ‘Not So Family Christmas’ Special to Air December 3
Christmas just got a little bit more country this year. CMA Entertainer of the Year Blake Shelton has revealed that his Christmas special, 'Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas,' will air on Dec. 3 on NBC.
No. 34: Randy Travis, ‘Meet Me Under the Mistletoe’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Randy Travis was riding the crest of the New Traditionalist wave when he released his first Christmas album in 1989. Titled 'An Old Time Christmas,' the record featured a selection of Christmas classics like 'Winter Wonderland' and 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,' along with some excellent original songs...
No. 35: Jeff Foxworthy, ‘Redneck 12 Days of Christmas’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy took his signature "You might be a redneck if... " act in a holiday direction with 'Redneck 12 Days of Christmas' from the 1996 album, 'Crank It Up: The Music Album.'
Written with Tim Wilson, the track is a countrified spoof of 'The 12 Days of Christmas...
No. 36: Burl Ives, ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Folk singer Burl Ives used Christmas to cross over to the mainstream with his rendition of 'A Holly Jolly Christmas,' which became a pop hit in 1965 and a country holiday staple in the decades since.
Ives had already racked up an impressive career that comprised not only folk music, but also film appearances by the time he was tapped to narrate the animated TV production of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed
No. 37: Rascal Flatts, ‘I’ll Be Home for Christmas’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
It's no secret that Rascal Flatts are one of the top vocal groups in the world, so it seems appropriate that their take on the Christmas classic 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' should bring their voices front and center.
Recorded in 2009 for the group's holiday EP 'Unwrapped,' the track features lead singer Gary LeVox in an acapella vocal, joined by the trademark harmonies of bandmates Jay DeMarcus a
No. 38: Carrie Underwood, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Country superstar Carrie Underwood is no stranger to Christmas material. Over the course of her relatively short (but explosive) career, she has recorded Christmas standards like 'O Holy Night,' 'The First Noel' and 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' (the latter with Elvis Presley), but her rendition of the traditional 'Do You Hear What I Hear' is a standout, with Underwood's powerful voice a perfect ma
No. 39: Darius Rucker, ‘Candy Cane Christmas’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Darius Rucker is certainly a gifted vocalist having proven his singing chops in both rock and, more recently, country. But with 'Candy Cane Christmas,' Rucker channeled his inner Sinatra for a vocal performance that is so different from anything else he's done, it's almost unrecognizable...
No. 40: Anne Murray, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ – Top 50 Country Christmas Songs
Canadian songbird Anne Murray has celebrated the spirit of Christmas with no less than seven holiday albums over the course of her decades-long career. But her rendition of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' from the 2008 release 'Anne Murray's Christmas Album' is particularly poignant...
Shania Twain Arrives on Horseback for Vegas Residency
Superstar Shania Twain has never been one to do things small, but she topped herself on Wednesday (Nov. 14) by arriving for her upcoming Las Vegas residency on horseback -- accompanied by a herd of an additional 40 horses.