Rascal Flatts Call CeCe Winans an ‘American Hero’ Prior to ‘CMA Country Christmas’ Performance
Rascal Flatts seem like they would have moved mountains to perform alongside CeCe Winans during the 2019 CMA Country Christmas broadcast on ABC.
The country trio and gospel great perform "Go Tell It on the Mountain" together during the broadcast. For singer Gary LeVox, Winans is, "one of our all-time favorite American heroes, living, dead, whatever."
The artists had rehearsed the day prior to the September taping at Belmont University in Nashville. There was an almost competitive spirit to it, with Joe Don Rooney joking that Winans was "coming for" LeVox, meaning she was trying to top him. Winans laughed at that idea.
"Gary sings higher than I've ever sang in my life," she told Taste of Country and select media prior to the show. "Even in rehearsal, he wasn't even trying, so I was like, 'You know what, I'm going to have to come out of the gates fighting pretty hard.'"
It's a good-natured ribbing with nothing but mutual respect, but the result is going to be a memorable performance of a classic Christmas song. In addition to their performance with Winans, Rascal Flatts will sing "Deck the Halls" at the request of show producer Robert Deaton and take part in a multi-artist rendition of "Feliz Navidad." Winans will be a part of three additional performances: a solo version of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," an all-female version of "Children Go Where I Send Thee" and "Feliz Navidad."
Also slated to appear during the 10th anniversary of CMA Country Christmas are Kristin Chenoweth, For King & Country, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Runaway June, Brett Young and Chris Young. Trisha Yearwood will host CMA Country Christmas on Tuesday night (Dec. 3). The show airs on ABC at 9PM ET.
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