Sheryl Crow In A Holiday Mood On Upcoming Album

INFO: http://www.billboard.com



It'll drop into Hallmark Gold Crown stores in September, and Crow gave Billboard an exclusive sneak peek before stashing it away until then. "We grew up singing Christmas carols [with] four-part harmonies," she says. "Christmas wasn't Christmas until the Christmas Eve service, and we all sang in the choir. It's still that way."

The lights and candles and wreaths were out in Sheryl Crow's Los Angeles living room-in mid-June. Christmas came early in Crow's world this year because of an as-yet-untitled holiday album she's recorded with producer Bill Bottrell for Hallmark's annual series, following releases by James Taylor, Barry Manilow and George Strait.

It'll drop into Hallmark Gold Crown stores in September, and Crow gave Billboard an exclusive sneak peek before stashing it away until then. "We grew up singing Christmas carols [with] four-part harmonies," she says. "Christmas wasn't Christmas until the Christmas Eve service, and we all sang in the choir. It's still that way."

Crow is turning her attention back to her regular repertoire this summer, however. She's currently in Europe for festivals in Denmark, Switzerland and Italy, then returns to North America for a tour with James Blunt that starts on July 24 in Nashville. In November she heads to Australia with John Mellencamp.

She's also among the many musical artists lining up in support of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and hopes to play some role in support of his campaign.

"I know my manager's been talking to them," Crow says. "We're just putting schedules together and figuring out where we can be useful and what they need us for. I think his message is strong and clear. It's a message we need to start to believe in, and we need to stop with the cynicism and really manifest ourselves as being a part of what's happening in this country. We let some bad things happen on our watch; hopefully we'll never repeat that again.