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Dion
Dion’s Late Career Juggernaut Continues With Two New Christmas Songs Out This Month
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Includes Blues With Friends Collaborator Joe Bonamassa By Sheena Johnson With Christmas just around the corner it seems fitting that we’re all getting into the Christmas spirit. It’s also great to see that so many musicians are filled with the Christmas spirit also. Rock Hall of Famer, Dion DiMucci is one of those people. Dion has teamed up with Amy Grant and Joe Bonamassa for two new holiday-themed songs and videos to go with them. Both of the songs were co-written by Dion and Mike Aquilina, who also co-wrote many of the songs off of Dion’s most recent release, Blues With Friends, which has remained on the Billboard Blues Chart since it’s June release. The two new Christmas songs are ‘Hello Christmas” and “You Know It’s Christmas.” These two songs really show the versatility of Dion as a songwriter and a performer. Not only can he write pop, rock, and blues songs, but he can also turn out some pretty good holiday songs as well. No wonder he’s in the Hall Of Fame.
“Hello Christmas” features the backing vocals of the legendary Amy Grant. When Dion and Mike wrote this song, Dion could hear Amy Grant in the mix, so he gave her a call, as he explains. “I was talking with a friend about how the world this year can use a little lifegiving love and harmony. I told him that Christmas was the grace that changed my life and that I was looking forward to a shot of that this year. The next day I got together with Mike and I picked up the guitar, started singing and words started to flow. Later I was walking with my buddy [and co-writer] Steve Bottari and he started singing along – with some new words. The song just seemed to write itself, a gift to finish off this challenging year. From the start I heard Amy Grant’s voice on it; she just sounds like Christmas to me. I sent the track to her and she fell in love with it and added a beautiful counter-melody which makes it really sublime.”
Amy Grant commented “I was so happy to join my old friend Dion on ‘Hello Christmas.’ The song makes me smile every time I hear it.”
WATCH THE VIDEO https://youtu.be/cvjUh3u7D4k
The next song that Dion and Mike wrote was “You Know It’s Christmas.” “Blues is my home and I wanted to write a Christmas song with that feeling,” explains Dion. “Mike suggested a ‘brag blues’ (in the tradition of “The Wanderer”) so we thought what would a bluesman brag about at Christmas? How he bought just the right gift for his girl and how she’s going to love it! Christmas is all about giving and I think the song catches that vibe perfectly. Joe Bonamassa gave me a great Christmas present by playing lead on it.”
Bonamassa remarked, “It is always an honor to play alongside Dion, he is a National Treasure!”
Link to “You Know It’s Christmas” https://youtu.be/k5hjPOkKIJY Follow Dion on Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDion Twitter https://www.twitter.com/thewandererdion
Website - https://diondimucci.com
Instagram Spotify https://www.instagram.com/diondimucciofficial/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 15FyiY3ChN0QRspHIQYq0W?si=Jfl3ehtQS4GuSI2OVM7M0Q YouTube https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCSEUnfW0GArtSBLVYsUZaYA&source=gmail&ust=1606079785702000&usg=AOvVaw2XJc4qobQQYL_lrk7oxlr3 December 2020 • Rock and Blues International 73
