NBC has announced a new holiday special A Motown Christmas, set to air Wednesday, December 11th at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Hosted by Smokey Robinson and Halle Bailey, the show will feature numerous Motown and Hitsville USA veterans performing their biggest hits alongside modern stars.
Gladys Knight, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Temptations, Ashanti, JoJo, October London, Pentatonix and the Broadway cast of MJ The Musical are all set to perform during the two-hour show. Halle Bailey has prepared a medley of songs celebrating Diana Ross and the Supremes, while Jamie Foxx will lead a tribute to Stevie Wonder alongside Bebe Winans, Jordin Sparks and Andra Day.
An 11-piece live band, conducted by Emmy Award-winning musical director Rickey Minor, will accompany the singers. Across the more than 25-song setlist, viewers can expect to hear classics like “ABC,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “My Girl,” “Reach Out (I’ll Be There),” “Tears of a Clown, “Stop (In the Name of Love),” and “Superstition.” After the show airs on NBC, it will be available to stream the next day via Peacock.
