"Fairytale of Philadelphia," Kelce bros' cover of Pogues Christmas classic, tops Billboard charts
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Eagles center Jason Kelce and his brother -- and Taylor Swift's boyfriend -- Travis Kelce have reached the top of the Billboard charts with their Christmas duet "Fairytale of Philadelphia," a ditty off "A Philly Special Christmas Special."
"Fairytale of Philadelphia" came in as No. 1 on Billboard's Rock Digital Song and Holiday Digital Song sales charts.
The Kelce brothers localized The Pogues' famous Christmas song "Fairytale of New York" -- a song about love between Irish immigrants struggling to survive in the new world.
Shane MacGowan, the beloved longtime frontman for The Pogues, passed away at the age of 65, his wife Victoria Mary Clarke said Thursday.
"I don't know how to say this so I am just going to say it. Shane who will always be the light that I hold before me and the measure of my dreams and the love of my life and the most beautiful soul and beautiful angel and the sun and the moon and the start and end of everything that I hold dear has gone to be with Jesus and Mary and his beautiful mother Therese," Clarke said in an Instagram post. "I am blessed beyond words to have met him and to have loved him and to have been so endlessly and unconditionally loved by him and to have had so many years of life and love and joy and fun and laughter and so many adventures."
In a tweet Friday, Jason Kelce posted a statement he gave to the New York Times about MacGowan's death.
"Fairytale of New York, has long been one of my favorite songs (not just Christmas songs), as it gets to the roots of love, anger, resentment, sacrifice, and ultimately companionship," Kelce wrote in part. "It was an honor for my brother and I to take a stab at such a beautiful song in a different angle, and his acknowledgement of it is beyond surreal."
No, I released a statement to the New York Times, but I’ll post it here so that everyone can see it on social media. https://t.co/QMKlzJ7ou1 pic.twitter.com/5UY1ZDq6pw
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) December 1, 2023
"A Philly Special Christmas Special," the second holiday album by Jason Kelce and his fellow Eagles offensive linemen Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, will hit all streaming services and stores Friday.
Preorders for the vinyl of the album began Nov. 3. The record was sold as a limited-edition red vinyl, limited-edition gold vinyl and also a double disc vinyl with the first album.
Kelce, Mailata and Johnson also launched a limited-edition apparel line and released an animation special.
Sales from the album will go toward the Children's Crisis Treatment Center and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.