Music specials — from country to hip hop — are coming

TV networks will give us plenty of music specials next month, as we wait semi-patiently for the post-strike season to begin.
Today (Nov. 14), ABC announced its line-up for the Dec. 14 “CMA Country Christmas,” hosted by Amy Grant (shown here) and Trisha Yearwood. Also, CBS announced a date (Dec. 27) for the Kennedy Center Honors. Those are in a month that will range from Willie Nelson to hip hop.
Some details:
— The CMA concert will pack a lot of music into 62 minutes. The 8 p.m. special will has music by Grant and Yearwood, plus Lainey Wilson, Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Jon Pardi, Lindsey Stirling, Lady A and War and Treaty.
— The Kennedy Center Honors will be 9-11 p.m. Dec. 27, with Gloria Estefan (a former honoree) hosting. It will include tributes – musical and verbal – to actor-comedian Billy Crystal and four music stars — Queen Latifah (also an actress), Barry Gibb (of the BeeGees), Dionne Warwick and classical star Renee Fleming.
— That follows a pair of CBS music specials on Sundays — where Latifah’s “Equalizer” will return in Feburary, when CBS launches its post-strike line-up.
Dec. 10 has “Grammy Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop.” There’s a reunion of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, in a massive line-up that includes Latifah, LL Cool J, Common, Cypress Hill, 2 Chainz, MC Lyte and more. That’s 8:30-10:30 p.m., but will be 8-10 p.m. on the West Coast
On Dec. 17 (8:30-10:30 p.m.), CBS has “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration” … almost seven months after Nelson turned 90. Performers will include Nelson, his sons (Lukas and Mikah), plus stars from country (George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton) and beyond (Keith Richards, Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Beck, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg and Gary Clark Jr.).