John Berry returns for annual Christmas tradition in song

Grammy nominee John Berry is returning to Macon once agian to perform what has become a highly anticipated annual tradition.

Each year, due to his love of Christmas, Berry tours in the days leading up to the holiday, and concludes his tour in Macon.

A holiday tradition that the Aiken, South Carolina, native started in 1997, the show is a mixture of favorites -- "Your Love Amazes Me," "Standing on The Edge of Goodbye," "Change My Mind" and "I Will if You Will" -- and Yuletide-themed standards -- "O Holy Night," "Let It Snow," "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Little Drummer Boy."

If previous years are any indication, the concert should be a family-friendly night with more than two hours of music. Many of his fans return each year to help kick the Christmas celebration into high gear.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Berry's album "O Holy Night." Still, for Berry, each Christmas concert is special, as it provides him with a chance to share his faith.

"We're excited to perform four new Christmas songs from my new album, 'This Christmas Night,' " Berry said. "I'll also be doing songs from my new country album, 'What I Love the Most.' "

As his Facebook page shows, what Berry may love most is his annual Christmas tour. Each year, he travels to some of his favorite places, taking time to meet up with Santa in various cities across the southeast and celebrating the season with fans.

"This is my 19th year playing in Macon, and it's always one of the highlights each year," he said.

For Berry, who broke both legs and a hip at age 21, his music seems almost predestined. He spent several months in physical therapy, working to regain the use of his legs.

"The coolest thing in the world came out of it. All I could do was sit on my stool and play guitar. That's all I've done ever since," Berry said.

Berry has modeled his life on his faith and his dedication to his family. In fact, his devotion to his children and to writing the type of music he could play for them at any age led the Modeling Association of America to induct Berry as an honorary inductee into the Modeling Hall of Fame for being a role model.

"Somebody from the organization had read about my commitment to the type of songs that I do," he explained. "I don't care how good of a song it is, if it's not the kind of song that I want my kids to listen to and learn from, it's not my song."

It is Berry's character, as much as his music, that has led him to form decades-long friendships with his fans around the country.

"I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of familiar faces and making new friends in Macon," Berry said.

John Berry

When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18,

Where: Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St.

Cost: $37

Information: thegrandmacon.com

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 6:40 PM with the headline "John Berry returns for annual Christmas tradition in song ."