Dolly Parton’s ‘Hard Candy Christmas’ Finds Its Way Onto Reba McEntire’s New Album

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Five years ago, Reba McEntire found herself with nothing to do, so she and her very good friend and pianist Catherine Marx started to record a Christmas album, naturally.

Once she and Cracker Barrel teamed up for a collection called “Rockin R”, they asked her if she would be willing to make a Christmas album with them. Luckily for them, she already had one ready to go, so five years after she started recording this unnamed, unknown project, it finally was coming to fruition.

She recorded songs from “Winter Wonderland” to “O Holy Night” to “Jingle Bells” and they are all included on her newly released My Kind of Christmas album.

In August, McEntire stopped by the Cracker Barrel Warehouse to sing a few songs and she performed her cover of Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas”, which is included on the new album.

“It’s a song Dolly Parton recorded years ago and it’s one of my favorite Christmas songs,” she said introducing the tune. “It’s really sad, but it’s one of my favorites. It’s called’ ‘Hard Candy Christmas’.”

McEntire’s live cover is a wonderful look at what the expect from her Christmas album, which was released September 22 to Cracker Barrel stores. 

“Hard Candy Christmas” was first written for the stage musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. In the film version, Parton sings the song and later released it as a single.

Watch McEntire take on the song below and make sure to buy her album here!