From Staff Reports

Warren Haynes will bring his 26th Annual Christmas Jam to Asheville’s U.S. Cellular Center on Dec. 13 — and Vince Gill is expected to be among the show’s top attractions. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. 

One of the most celebrated and longest-running live concerts in the U.S., the Christmas Jam will benefit the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity for the 16th year in a row.

Haynes recently presented the organization with a record-breaking $500,000 in Christmas Jam proceeds from last year’s epic, sold-out Silver Anniversary event.

Each year, the Christmas Jam sets the stage for surprise collaborations, rare appearances and musical sets that rock into the wee hours of the morning.

The tradition is sure to continue with this year’s line-up, part of which has been announced Oct. 6 to help mark it as World Habitat Day.

This will be Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill’s first Christmas Jam appearance, despite Gill and Haynes having tried to make it work in the past and schedules not working out until now.

Gill has sold more than 26 million albums and is a two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year. He has earned 20 Grammy Awards (the most of any country artist) and is tied with George Straight for having won the most CMA Male Vocalist Awards.

Gill has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a vocalist and musician have placed him in high demand as a guest vocalist and a duet partner.

Listed alphabetically, ither artists scheduled to perform include Billy & The Kids (a new group formed by Grateful Dead founding member Bill Kreutzmann with Aaron Magner of The Disco Biscuits), Reed Mathis of Tea Leaf Green, Tom Hamilton of American Babies and Brothers Past, Gov’t Mule, Hard Working Americans (featuring Todd Snider, Dave Schools, Neal Casal, Chad Staehly and Duane Trucks), and Jason Isbell with his band, The Revivalists.

This will be Kreutzmann’s second appearance at the event, having previously performed in 2005 as part of a one-time only supergroup with Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon. 

Jason Isbell, who will be making his triumphant return to Christmas Jam after a seven-year absence, recently swept The Americana Awards, nabbing Artist of the Year and Song of the Year for “Cover Me Up,” as well as the night’s top honor: Album of the Year for his post-sobriety triumph “Southeastern.” 

Christmas Jam is widely known for its array of special guest performers, who will be announced in the coming weeks along with other additions to the line-up.

VIP tickets and travel packages went on-sale Oct. 9. The pre-sale began Oct. 13 and the public on-sale began Oct. 17.

There will also once again be a slew of “Xmas Jam By Day” events, including daytime concerts and special events well as “Before The Jam Lend A Hand,” where volunteers can help build the houses made possible by Christmas Jam donations.

Complete details on the events will be announced in the upcoming weeks. To stay up-to-date on Christmas Jam information, visit the website www.xmasjam.com, Facebook and Twitter (@xmasjam).