John Berry will bring Christmas to The State Theatre

John Berry will bring his annual Christmas tour to The State Theatre on Dec. 3.

Berry’s been doing Christmas tours for over a decade, but every year they’ve evolved in some way.

“We’ve got a few different cities this year, obviously,” Berry said. “We’ve got five new songs during the Christmas portion of the show.”

Berry’s love for music (and for Christmas) started at a young age. He picked up the guitar before he was a teenager and never put it down.

“I grew up in a house full of music,” said the Grammy-nominated country singer/songwriter. “There was always music in our house. I started playing guitar when I was 12. I just kind of never stopped.”

The 1990s saw Berry’s career explode into the mainstream. He wrote multiple country radio hits and was nominated for a Grammy. Berry believes the legacy left by his predecessors is something to be admired. His favorite artists are certainly household names.

“The first name that comes to mind is Willie Nelson,” Berry said. “I’ve always loved Willie’s music and love what he does. T. Graham Brown, Alan Jackson, etc. The list goes on and on. There’s a little bit of everybody.”

While Berry has toured all over the world, he’s never been to Happy Valley before.

“This is my first time visiting State College,” he said. “I’m absolutely looking forward to it.”

Both a teacher and student of the business, Berry offers advice for young, up-and-coming country artists.

“Well, you need to be where people who can help you can help you,” he said. “If you want to be in country music, you’ve got to be in Nashville. If you want to be in country music and you’re in Kansas, good luck with that. You don’t have to live here, but you have to have a presence here.”

Berry’s passion for the Christmas season is evident by his devotion to bringing Christmas music to fans all across the U.S.

“First and foremost, this season celebrates my faith in Christ and his birth,” Berry said. “And then the second part of all of it is about getting together with family. It’s about the joy of being together. My family is al spread out. I have one in Texas, one in Virginia. So, (for the) Christmas holiday they come home.”

Berry said his show is for those with and without the Christmas spirit.

“If you love Christmas, if it’s something that you’ve enjoyed over the years, you’re going to come and it’s going to bring it all back to you,” he said. “It’s going to bring it all back, I promise. And, if you’ve never enjoyed Christmas or there’s something about it that it’s just not one of your favorite holidays, I think I can change that.”

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 10:35 AM with the headline "John Berry will bring Christmas to The State Theatre."