Cher Dazzles With Darlene Love on ‘Christmas in Rockefeller Center’ Tree-Lighting Special

After a festive performance last week at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Cher-mas continued Wednesday night (Nov. 29) with a double-header at the Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree-lighting special.

Cher started with a repeat performance, hitting the Radio City Music Hall rooftop for “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” the lead single from her 2023 holiday album titled Christmas and the same song she performed along last week’s parade route.

But instead of dancers dressed as red toy soldiers like they were on Thanksgiving, this time Cher’s backup troupe wore sparkly silver minidresses with silver go-go boots, coordinating with the pop legend’s silver puffer coat, silver corset and bedazzled wide-leg jeans.

Throughout the performance, the camera cut to Christmas in Rockefeller Center host Kelly Clarkson singing along to every word. “Oh my gosh, you guys,” Clarkson said breathlessly afterward. “Cher just put out a Christmas jam, y’all! That song is so good! That is my favorite song in a very long time!”

“DJ Play a Christmas Song” debuted at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart last month — Cher’s highest-peaking song ever on the chart — while its parent album, Christmas, debuted atop Billboard‘s Top Holiday Albums earlier this month.

Next up on the tree-lighting special, Cher joined forces with longtime friend Darlene Love to sing Love’s signature holiday hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” of which they recorded a duet version for the new Christmas album. Cher went for a full outfit and hair change for the fiale performance, switching into a sequined silver three-piece suit and icy-blond long locks from her signature black ‘do. Love wore a sparkly black suit to wail co-lead on the song with Cher — and Santa Claus even popped up to play a saxophone solo.

As Clarkson noted ahead of the performance, as a teenager, Cher sang background vocals on Love’s original 1963 recording of the song from A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector. In the Christmas liner notes, Cher thanks Love, writing: “Singing with you – ‘one of the greatest singers ever’ – is a special kind of miracle. Just think, I was 17 when I sang background on this song. … I’m still so in awe of you!  Now we’ve come full circle.”