Sheryl Crow, Lady A, Rascal Flatts top playlist for Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration

There may not be a 2021 Rose Parade, but the Jan. 1 Tournament of Roses’ television special plans a star-studded, tuneful welcome for 2021, especially if you like country music.

Organizers announced this year’s musical lineup with a news release on Tuesday, Dec. 8, including:

• Sheryl Crow – nine-time Grammy Award winner with more than 50 million albums sold;
• Mickey Guyton – country singer-songwriter and Grammy Award nominee;
• Tori Kelly – multi-Grammy Award winner, singer-songwriter;
• Lady A – multi-Platinum, seven-time Grammy Award-winning country trio;
• Rascal Flatts – the most awarded country group of the last decade; and
• The War and Treaty – eclectic, soulful, husband-and-wife duo, one of Nashville’s breakout acts.

There will also be celebrity guest appearances throughout the two-hour event, the release says, including:

• Daddy Yankee – multi award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and producer;
• Shanola Hampton – star of “Shameless” on Showtime;
• Laurie Hernandez – Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team and 2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshal;
• Emeril Lagasse – chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author, and 2007 Rose Parade Grand Marshal;
• Matt Leinart – 2019 Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee, former NFL player and Heisman Trophy winner;
• Rita Moreno – Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) award winner, and 2020 Rose Parade Grand Marshal;
• Dascha Polanco – star of Netflix hit, “Orange is the New Black”;
• Vin Scully – voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than 65 years; and
• Gary Sinise – actor, philanthropist and 2018 Rose Parade Grand Marshal.

Past Grand Marshals Emeril Lagasse and Gary Sinise will be prominently featured in the special — officially known as “The Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration presented by Honda” — with Sinise opening the show while Lagasse will “shake us up with his favorite New Year’s Day cocktail,” the news release says.

It’ll also feature “marching band performances, heartwarming segments related to the Rose Parade, special Rose Bowl game football highlights, equestrians, spectacular floats from years past, a behind-the-scenes look into the making of a float and New Year’s wishes from fans around the world.”

The entire event has already been recorded live, spokeswoman Candy Carlson said in an interview on Tuesday, many of the performances filmed at iconic locales across the country, including Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, while some were more local — right in front of the Rose Bowl.

In a previous news release, organizers said high school and college seniors in bands from across the country “will come together for a special, virtual performance of ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ lead by a surprise conductor.”

This virtual performance is meant to showcase their talents in a socially-distanced, pandemic-friendly fashion.

The two-hour show will start at 8 a.m. sharp on Jan. 1, airing on ABC, Hallmark Channel, KTLA, NBC and RFD-TV; Univision will also carry it one hour earlier, beginning at 7 a.m. All times in Pacific Standard Time.

Earlier this year, the Rose Parade was cancelled amid coronavirus concerns. It’s the only time since World War II that the parade has ever been cancelled.

While organizers are moving ahead with this television special, they’ve opted to delay much of the pageantry, such as the Rose Queen and Royal Court, and will keep this year’s executive leadership team for an additional year before rotating them out after the 2022 parade.

And yes, there will still be a Rose Bowl football game this year, but there won’t be any fans.

Source: Orange County Register