Christmas Tree Lighting 2011: Justin Bieber, Tony Bennett to Perform
NBC has announced that Justin Bieber, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, and many other musical artists will perform during their annual Christmas tree lighting.
The momentous occasion happens every year during the holiday season at Rockefeller Center in New York City. This year, the iconic Christmas tree lighting will take place Nov. 30.
Live performers will also include Cee Lo Green, Faith Hill, Carole King, Katharine McPhee from “Smash,” and the winner of “The Voice,” Javier Colon. Also in attendance will be the famous Radio City Rockettes to dance while classic and modern day holiday songs are performed.
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The event will display a Norway Spruce measuring 74 feet in height and 46 feet in diameter, weighing 10 tons. The holiday event is a 78-year-old tradition that started in 1933 when the first tree was lit outside of the RCA Building, now the GE Building.
Now the event takes place alongside the outdoor skating rink in the Rockefeller Center since the event was updated in 1936.
NBC broadcasted the event for the first time in 1953. Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie will host the Christmas Tree Lighting television special, which starts at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Bieber’s addition to the Christmas tree lighting lineup of performers comes as no surprise as the 17-year-old singer released his new Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe, earlier this month.
Discussing where he found inspiration while recording the holiday album, Bieber said having Christmas cookies in the studio helped a lot.
Speaking to MTV News, Bieber said, “It’s different, because you’ve gotta think Christmastime. You’ve gotta think, ‘What’s at Christmas? Mistletoe, reindeer, Santa, all these things.’”
Bieber was working on the studio in August, and added: "Especially when it’s not Christmastime, it’s hard to really get your mind around it, but once you get into it, like, I was really thinking it was Christmastime when I was writing this album… We had Christmas cookies [in the studio].”
Under the Mistletoe features one track with Mariah Carey as well as some of Bieber’s favorite Christmas classics combined with some of his own music.
