Over the summer, Parker McCollum released his first album in nearly two years. Offering his name as the title, the album came packed with songs like “What Kinda Man” and “Big Sky.” When hitting the airwaves, Parker McCollum landed No. 6 on the US Top Country Albums chart. While most of the songs featured only McCollum, he teamed up with Cody Johnson for “Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues.” Preparing to kick off his new tour in 2026, McCollum first took the stage at the CMA Country Christmas special to perform “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
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Dating all the way back to the 1930s, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. Once released, the song became an instant classic. And over the decades, Dolly Parton, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Sinatra, the Temptations, Michael Bublé, Michael Bolton, and even Bing Crosby covered the holiday hit. But when it came to the CMA Country Christmas, it was all McCollum.
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Not Parker McCollum’s First Time Cover “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”
Having to perform a song once covered by Crosby and Dolly might be stressful for some. But McCollum was in his element under the spotlight. Excited to be celebrating the holiday season with some country music, the singer had a little help when it came to preparing for the performance.
While singers have more than enough time to perfect a song before performing it, McCollum released his own version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.” The country singer teamed up with Apple Music for the Carols Covered Collection.
Discussing the first time he performed the song, McCollum noted how he needed to borrow Brandon Rhyder’s band. “I covered the Bruce Springsteen version on Fox News in Austin, Texas, at 5:30 in the morning. It was one of the first times I ever played with a full band. I borrowed Brandon Rhyder’s band, and we played ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.’ It was the first time I was ever on live TV.”
With his performance on Fox News preparing him for the CMA Country Christmas, fans can relive McCollum’s cover as the special event will be available to stream the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
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