When many people think of quality country Christmas music, the Oak Ridge Boys and the a cappella group Home Free are two groups that immediately come to mind. So country fans were understandably thrilled when they learned the groups recently got together to sing a Christmas classic.
The song the Oak Ridge Boys and Home Free sang was “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.” Many country and bluegrass artists have covered it in the past, including The Judds, Dailey & Vincent, and Patty Loveless.
Back in 2002, the Oak Ridge Boys included their own rendition of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” on their holiday record An Inconvenient Christmas. Today, their version of the song is one of the most well-known.
So when the Oak Ridge Boys agreed to appear on Home Free’s Warmest Winter Holiday Special this year, it made sense that “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem” was the song they performed.
The Oak Ridge Boys and Home Free go way back, and have collaborated many times throughout the years. Most notably, they teamed up to issue an a cappella rendition of the Oak Ridge Boys’ iconic song “Elvira.”
Their collaborative performance of “Elvira” has earned well over 20 million views since it was posted in 2015.
Based on their previous collaborations, we knew the Oak Ridge Boys and Home Free would deliver an outstanding rendition of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”
They were also joined by country singer Jeffrey East. East played guitar for everyone as they sang, which is a departure from Home Free’s usual style. As an a cappella group, they typically sing without any instruments to back them up.
But the guitar was gentle, and didn’t detract from the performance. We got goosebumps when everyone chimed in and started singing together…it was such a beautiful moment.
Tune in to the video below to see the Oak Ridge Boys, Home Free, and East sing “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.” This brand-new performance is already one of our favorite holiday-themed collaborations!