When you want to hear a stone-cold classic holiday song, something with the jingle bells

jinglin' and a beat that warms your soul, you put on this Christmas by legendary singer

songwriter Donnie Hathaway.

The horns announced it. There's a celebration happening. The bass bubbles up, offender

roads, electric keyboards, slides over and Donnie welcomes you in.

All of that makes this song a staple this time of year, especially in black households across

the country. But what most people might not realize is that the song didn't start with Donnie

Hathaway or even with professional songwriters.

I am Nadine Scott McKinnor, the writer, co-writer and most grateful fan of Donnie Edward

Hathaway and this Christmas.

In 1967, Miss McKinnor was working as a temp at a post office in Chicago when a major snowstorm

rolled through. Miss McKinnor always kept a notebook on her where she would jot down poems

and song lyric ideas. The snow and the Christmas decorations around the city got a thinking

about Nat King Cole's The Christmas song. You know the one. Just not sure if you'll

be listening on an open fire. Love that song. I mean every year that was my guaranteed Christmas

gift. And she had an idea. Because I had a fire side at my father's house and a fire

place at my mom's house. So when I say the fire side is blazing bright, that's the whole truth.

Oh yeah, we had fire sides blazing bright all the time and people were seeing in Carolyn and they

actually did come down the street singing and Christmas is time to sing and time to eat and

light the lights and you know cooking and visiting. It's the time for it's the time for good

and shiny bright things. Yeah. So I'm writing this song and there was this song I'd like to get to

know you if I could. I'd like to get to know you. Yes, I would.

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