"Celebrate Me Home" is a song written by Bob James

Bob James (musician)

Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...

 and Kenny Loggins

Kenny Loggins

During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...

, and recorded by Loggins as the title track of his 1976 debut solo album Celebrate Me Home

Celebrate Me Home

Celebrate Me Home is the debut solo album from Kenny Loggins, released in 1977. The album, Loggins' first since splitting from Loggins and Messina, represents a slight move away from the folk-rock leanings of his previous recordings towards a more polished, soft rock sound.Despite featuring...

.

The Song

Although not released as a single, it evolved into one of Loggins' better-known songs, especially as it became a popular staple of radio stations' Christmas music

Christmas music

Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...

 playlists due to its holiday-themed lyrics. It is included on Loggins' Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (Kenny Loggins album)

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: The Greatest Hits of Kenny Loggins is a compilation of songs by soft rock singer Kenny Loggins. Released in 1997, it contains many of the hit singles from Loggins' solo career, such as "This Is It," "Footloose," and "Danger Zone," as well as a new track, "For the First...

and The Essential

The Essential Kenny Loggins

The Essential Kenny Loggins is a compilation of songs by the soft rock singer Kenny Loggins. Released on November 19, 2002, it is part Sony BMG's "Essential" series of compilation albums, and includes tracks from Loggins' solo output, as well as tracks from his Loggins and Messina days.-Disc 1:#...

compilations, as well as his 1993 Outside: From the Redwoods

Outside: From the Redwoods

Outside: From the Redwoods is the second live album released by soft rock singer Kenny Loggins. Released in 1993, it is the recording of a 1992 Loggins' concert held "outside" from a venue located within a stand of giant redwood trees. It features reworked versions of many of Loggins' songs, both...

live album. Its Christmastime presence is exemplified by its appearance on Best Buy

Best Buy

Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...

's Sweet Tracks 2004 set.

Cover Versions

The song was also sung by Jill Colucci

Jill Colucci

Jill Colucci is an American songwriter and vocalist. She initially rose to prominence in 1988, singing the main scores to the film Mystic Pizza. She sang the ABC promo campaigns Something's Happening and America's Watching ABC...

 for Disney Channel

Disney Channel

Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...

's 1990 Celebrate Me Home campaign, which is named after the song. The campaign was mostly featured during the channel's Winter

Winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...

, Spring

Spring (season)

Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...

, Summer

Summer

Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...

, and Fall

Autumn

Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....

 Previews.

Ruben Studdard

Ruben Studdard

Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...

, winner of American Idol

American Idol

American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...

in its second season

American Idol (Season 2)

The second season of American Idol premiered on January 21, 2003 and continued until May 21, 2003. The title of show was shortened from American Idol: The Search for a Superstar of Season 1 to just American Idol. Brian Dunkleman quit after the first season, and Seacrest therefore became the lone...

, recorded a cover

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 of "Celebrate Me Home" to be used as the show's seventh season

American Idol (season 7)

The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...

 Top 12 exit song. Produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis

James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...

, Studdard's rendition omitted the song's first-line holiday mention, to give it a more general feel. The Studdard recording was made available for iTunes

ITunes Store

The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

 download on March 12, 2008, as Loggins' original recording also prospered from new downloads.

Jazz artists, such as Al Jarreau

Al Jarreau

Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award winning jazz singer.- Background :Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist Church minister and singer, and...

have performed this song as well.

The song was sampled for Common's "Celebrate".