Spell it ‘Carey.’ NC town changes name for one sweet day to honor ‘Queen of Christmas’
For “One Sweet Day,” the town of Cary will be spelled “Carey” to honor the “Queen of Christmas.”
Grammy award-winning singer Mariah Carey called into Triangle radio station Mix 101.5FM Friday morning to help kick off the holiday season with Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, who proclaimed the town would have a special spelling for the day.
“I need to move there, maybe,” Carey said after Weinbrecht read part of the proclamation. “That’s was amazing. ... My father would have been so proud.”
The document said Carey’s 1994 song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” inspires people around the world with “holiday cheer.”
“This day commemorates our community’s dedication to spreading the spirit of love, joy, and togetherness to all just like the message in Ms. Carey’s unforgettable hit,” the proclamation read.
The town also announced a karaoke event, Mariah Careyoke, on Nov. 22 in Downtown Cary Park with all the singer’s famous hits. Singers will be judged by the Mix 101.5 radio hosts Kyle Smelser, Bryan Lord and Sarah King.
The top performer will win tickets to see Carey perform her Christmas concert in Raleigh on Dec. 9 at the Lenovo Center.
A Mariah Carey Christmas
Among Carey’s titles, she is known as the “Songbird Supreme” for her songwriting talents and five-octave vocal range and whistle register, the highest register of the human voice.
She released her first self-titled album in 1990 and her first five singles reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart including “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” and “Someday.”
She is also known for R&B hits “Emotions,” “Make it Happen,” and “One Sweet Day,” sung with R&B group Boys II Men.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” topped the Billboard chart during three of the last four holiday seasons, ceding the top spot last year to Brenda Lee’s 1954 hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Billboard reported.
On Friday, Carey signaled the end to her song’s annual hibernation with a new opening to its video. In it she portrays Morticia Addams before opening a dresser bureau to reveal a red dress and announcing, “It’s time.”
Tickets to Carey’s Christmas show in Raleigh are on sale now at lenovocenter.com.
This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Spell it ‘Carey.’ NC town changes name for one sweet day to honor ‘Queen of Christmas’."