Entertainment
Darlene Love blasts Christmas in Rockefeller Center producers for passing her over
Darlene Love is not feeling very Christmasy right now. The legendary singer slammed the producers of the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday, saying she was unfairly passed over to sing her hit “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” at the annual ceremony. “Once again I was snubbed by Brad Lachman Productions who produce the Rockefeller…
Darlene Love is not feeling very Christmasy right now.
The legendary singer slammed the producers of the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting on Wednesday, saying she was unfairly passed over to sing her hit “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” at the annual ceremony.
“Once again I was snubbed by Brad Lachman Productions who produce the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting ceremony and instead they book another artist to perform my song ‘Christmas Baby, Please Come Home’ each year!!” Love wrote on Facebook.
In an exclusive statement to EW, Love said, “My voice is still strong and powerful as when I recorded ‘Christmas Baby, Please Come Home’ in 1963. Performing at the Rockefeller Tree lighting ceremony has always been a wish of mine and I think at 78, [someone] who has fought & struggled to move to [the] forefront deserves the opportunity.”
“I’m still hopeful that Brad Lachman and his team will now reach out to me before I’m retired and long gone,” she added. “In the meantime, I’m thrilled and honored to be celebrating my 5 year anniversary singing my song on The View, Dec 20th.”
Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images
Love’s Facebook post also said the snub was “such an insult and let down! They book these young artists who can’t even hit the notes properly and are off-key. Makes NO sense!! That’s my song and I’m still alive. Show me some respect!”
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Become a founding memberThe night Love posted her note, NBC aired its Christmas in Rockefeller Center broadcast. The event featured many NBC stars, like Skylar Astin and Alex Newell, who performed “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and are featured in the network’s upcoming show Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.
Love first released the song in 1963 and performed it annually on CBS’ The Late Show with David Letterman for 28 years until Letterman left the show in 2014.
In her Facebook post, she went on to say that her reps have been working for “over 10 years” to get her on the Rockefeller Center stage, but Brad Lachman Productions thought she wasn’t “big enough” to perform on her own.
“They keep saying that I’m not their demo or big enough and would only book me if Bette Midler or Bruce Springsteen would do it with me,” she wrote. “I would NEVER ask my friends to do that. If you want them, go thru their team.”
Although Love said she was grateful for all her accomplishments, she also wrote, “This business can be so unfair at times … it’s still a constant struggle to stay relevant and convince those who control the industry that I’m worth it.”
She ended her post by saying, “I’m turning off the TV. Gotta rest up for my holiday tour. Thank you to all my fans and friends who do support me. You keep my spirit happy and alive. Love, DARLENE!”
The singer has enjoyed a nearly six-decade-long career with hits like “He’s a Rebel.” Although she’s often associated with Christmas music, Love is also known for starring in the Lethal Weapon films as Roger Murtaugh’s wife. She also appeared in the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.
Love’s supporters even created a Change.org petition a year ago to lobby Brad Lachman Productions to get the singer to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree lighting. Although she didn’t appear this year, you can still catch Love belting out the classic holiday tune Dec. 20 on ABC’s The View.
EW has reached out to representatives for Brad Lachman Productions. Reps for NBC declined to comment.
Related content:
- Darlene Love announces new album, Introducing Darlene Love
- See Darlene Love’s many ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ renditions
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