Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Berry said one of his favorite, long-time Christmas traditions was when his children were young and his family lived out in the country — on Christmas Eve each year, they would all take a hayride that culminated in a bonfire where they would roast marshmallows and make s’mores.
Holiday traditions are some of the most wonderful traditions celebrated throughout the year, and Christmas with John Berry has become an annual holiday time event for Sugar Hill — Berry will usher in the Christmas spirit in the first stop on his 2024 tour at The Eagle Theatre on Friday, Nov. 29.
Berry’s 1995 album, “O Holy Night,” set the foundation for his first Christmas tour, and his performance of that sacred Christmas song heralding the night of Jesus’ birth will be in the concert lineup in Sugar Hill.
“We recorded that (album) in June 1994, and it was just an amazing recording session,” Berry said. “We captured something really special.”
Now in its 28th year, Berry said he loves what the Christmas tour has become — “I just love it. It’s so much fun. I love the music, I love the whole opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ and it’s just really cool.”
Berry said he and his crew plan to arrive in Sugar Hill the Sunday before the concert — right after church, he added — to set up for the show and rehearse. The first 45 minutes of the concert will include some of Berry’s hit songs and some album cuts, “songs I just love to sing,” he said.
Following an intermission, Berry will transition into the Christmas portion of his concert with songs such as “I Don’t Want to Rush This Christmas” and “My Heart is Bethlehem.”
What does Berry think about his tour becoming a tradition for those who attend each Christmas season?
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I look forward to going back to these places time and time again and we see people coming back year after year. People tell me, ‘It’s just not Christmas until we come hear you sing.'”
Tickets for Christmas with John Berry at The Eagle Theatre are limited and can be purchased online here.
