Christina Headlines Tree Lighting Ceremony

On Wednesday, November 29, Christina Aguilera will lead an all-star cast to help light up the world’s most famous Christmas tree. The Christmas in Rockefeller Center telecast, which airs from New York City at 8-9 P.M. ET/PT, will feature performances from Aguilera as well as American Idol season five winner Taylor Hicks and Grammy-award winning artist John Legend. Other music legends, such as Sting, Bette Midler, Lionel Richie, Sarah McLachlan and Martina McBride, will also take the stage. The artists will perform their own hits as well as time-honored holiday classics.

The tree lighting ceremony, which is in its 74th year, is a holiday tradition that dates back to the Great Depression era. It has become a symbol of the beginning of the holiday season in New York. The tree is typically around 70 feet tall, and is decorated with more than 25,000 multi-colored light bulbs. Past performers have included Britney Spears, Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson and Enrique Iglesias. This year’s broadcast is being hosted by Today show hosts Al Roker and Ann Curry.

Aguilera whose most recent album, Back to Basics, entered the charts at #1, has transformed from just another graduate of the Mickey Mouse Club to one of music’s most accomplished and popular pop singers.