Vince Gill, Amy Grant announced holiday tour

"The job of spreading Christmas cheer has simply gotten too big for Santa and Rudolph to do alone," Gill joked. "So Amy and I are pitching in. Besides, these holiday tours have become our favorites."

"Christmas audiences are special," said Grant. "They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix of anticipation and reverence. It's a thrilling experience for both of us."

In their two hour program of cherished standards and newer seasonal fare, the Grammy-winning husband-and-wife team will be backed by a 12-piece band that features a horn section and 2 harmony singers, including Gill's daughter, Jenny. "Some of our earlier Christmas tours were with a symphony orchestra," Gill said. "This time, though, we wanted to create more of an intimate, living room feel." Plans are underway to work with local charities in order to give back to these communities.

On Sept. 30, Grant will release her first new Christmas album in nine years. Called "The Christmas Collection," it is made up of selections from her three earlier Christmas CDs plus four new tunes, including "Baby It's Christmas," a song Grant and Gill wrote together. Grant will tape on Nov. 11 an NBC-TV special, Holiday Celebration On Ice. It co-stars Michael W. Smith and skating champions and will air Nov. 30.

Dates are:
Dec. 4 Manchester, NH/Verizon Wireless Arena
Dec. 5 Augusta, ME/Augusta Civic Center
Dec. 6 West Point, NY/Eisenhower Hall Theatre
Dec. 7 Mashantucket, CT/MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods
Dec. 10 Baltimore, MD/Lyric Opera House
Dec. 11 Albany, NY/Times Union Center
Dec. 12 Worcester, MA/DCU Center
Dec. 13 Elmira, NY/First Arena
Dec. 15 Atlanta, GA/Fox Theatre
Dec. 16 Charlotte, NC/Ovens Auditorium
Dec. 18 Grand Rapids, MI/Van Andel Arena
Dec. 19 St. Louis, MO/Scottrade Center
Dec. 20 Bloomington, IL/US Cellular Colliseum
Dec. 22-23 Nashville, TN/Ryman Auditorium