Soon It Will Be Christmas Day

By David Johnson

Published September 11, 2019 at 6:00 PM EDT

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Afterglow rings in the holidays this week with music from Billy Eckstine, Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Julie London, Peggy Lee, and more. We'll also hear:

The story of how "The Christmas Song" came to be written

The inspiration for "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," taken from the work of a great American poet

Some late-1940s holiday radio broadcasts

A little-known Christmas original by Indiana bandleader and composer Al Cobine

Happy holidays to radio listeners everywhere!