Finding the perfect blend between American soul and blues, The War and Treaty gained fame within country music after releasing their debut album Healing Tide in 2018. Now, five years later, the group, consisting of husband and wife, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, landed two nominations at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. They even hit No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their collaboration with Zach Bryan on “Hey Driver”. While the duo will have to wait to see if they take home a Grammy, they showcased their talents on Thursday when they took the stage on CMA Country Christmas.
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Originally released in 1963, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” featured singer Darlene Love. Becoming a popular song during the holidays, other artists like Cher, Mariah Carey, Michael Bublé, and even the famed U2 have performed the song. While following any of those acts can come with a great deal of pressure, The War and Treaty took the stage with confidence and used their gospel roots to make the song their own.
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Looking at social media, fans rejoiced in the song choice and their performance. One person wrote, “Let The War and Treaty sing all the Christmas songs.”
The Duet That Almost Never Happened
While fans enjoyed watching the duo celebrate Christmas, the opportunity might never have happened if it wasn’t for Michael singing at an event in Maryland years ago. Although a powerhouse when it comes to vocals, Tanya once discussed her time in the music industry and explained how the business side caused her to lose her passion. It wasn’t until she watched Michael perform, 20 years later, that the spark inside her reunited.
Recalling watching him perform, Tanya said, “It was like someone had taken the cord from a cable and plugged it into a wall and a light came back on inside of me. Because you could tell every word he was singing, he meant it.” Not regretting her time away from music, she insisted, “I’m glad I walked away from music when I did, because now I’m doing music with the War and Treaty that I believe in and am passionate about.”
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(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
