Indie Recording Artist Luanne Hunt Lands on Two "Best Of Holiday Songs" Lists with Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and others

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Indie Recording Artist Luanne Hunt Lands on Two
"Best Of Holiday Songs" Lists with Taylor Swift,
Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire and others
(1888 PressRelease) Luanne Hunt's recording of
Patsy Cline's lost Christmas song places her
among the ranks of Faith Hill, Dolly Parton,
Tammy Wynette, Trisha Yearwood and other A-List
singers. Independent recording artist Luanne
Hunt joined the ranks of legendary country stars
this week when her song "Christmas Without You"
landed on two popular Internet publications'
"Best of Holiday Songs" lists. The first,
Truckers News, provides the No. 1 mobile app for
truck drivers across the U.S. The second, the
award-winning Autostraddle, has a readership of
2.5 million per month. "To be the only Indie
artist on those lists feels like an amazing
accomplishment," said Hunt, who has recorded 13
studio CDs on the Star Creek Entertainment label.
"It's validation that all the hard work I've put
into my music has paid off." Hunt's "Christmas
Without You" was originally written for legendary
country singer Patsy Cline by Lawton Jiles and
Charles (Buster) Beam in 1960. According to
Jiles, Patsy never had the opportunity to record
it the way it was originally intended and was
heartbroken she was unable to give her fans a
signature Christmas song.
"I've always believed if Patsy would have
recorded 'Christmas Without You' it would have
become a holiday standard," said Jiles, who also
has written songs for Hunt, Porter Wagoner and
Janie Fricke. "It's the kind of Christmas song
you hear once and want to sing along. It's very
simple, but the simple songs are usually the ones
people love the most. I'm not surprised Luanne's
version is doing so well."
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Since its release, "Christmas Without You" has
racked up a number of impressive accolades,
including topping the European Country Music
Association chart in France, Denmark and Austria
in December of 2011. It also was the second most
played song in Europe that month and has
frequently made the Top 10 list on the popular
Sounds of Christmas Internet radio station. "I
got a rush when I first heard Luanne's recording
of 'Christmas Without You,'" said Jiles, a friend
and colleague of Hunt's. "The song's been in my
head for years and to hear it done the way I
always envisioned it is very exciting. It's a
perfect blend of the traditional and
contemporary." "Christmas Without You" was
produced by Eric Uglum (Alison Krauss, Ron Block,
Ralph Stanley, Cherryholmes and Nickel Creek). It
features an impressive twin-fiddle performance by
folk/bluegrass fiddle sensation Christian Ward,
who has shared the stage with Ricky Skaggs and
has toured with Rounder Records artist Sierra
Hull. Also on the single are Austin Ward (upright
bass), Roger Gillespie (drums), Hal Ratliff
(keyboards) and Uglum (guitar, mandolin and
harmony vocals). "I'll never forget the day I
recorded Patsy's lost Christmas song," said Hunt,
whose songs in recent years have frequently
topped the European country music charts. "I was
standing there at the studio mic hoping that she
(Patsy) was smiling down on me. I know her
version would have been phenomenal, but I hope
her fans will accept my recording and see it
mostly as a tribute to one of the greatest
country artists there ever was or ever will
be." "Christmas Without You" is included on
Hunt's critically-acclaimed EP, "How Christmas
Feels To Me." It is available for a free download
at http//www.luannehunt.com. http//www.starcree
kentertainment.com