Gospel Music Channel's Christmas at Union Station Stars Mandisa and George Huff to Headline 84th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the New York Stock Exchange Monday, Dec. 10

American Idol Favorites to Spread Holiday Cheer in New York and on GMC

Contact: Jim Weiss, Gospel Music Channel, 770-692-4579, jim@gospelmusicchannel.com

ATLANTA, Dec. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- American Idol favorites Mandisa and George Huff, who will celebrate the holidays through song on the Gospel Music Channel television network, will headline the 84th Annual New York Stock Exchange tree lighting spectacular on Monday, December 10th at 4:00 p.m. EST.

On behalf of Gospel Music Channel (GMC), Mandisa will perform What Christmas Means to Me, George Huff will perform O Holy Night and the two former American Idol finalists will sing a duet of The Christmas Song. Mandisa and Huff will share the tree lighting stage with fellow recording stars Jon Secada, Gloria Gaynor, Shades of Pink Breast Cancer Survivor Mass Choir and new Curb Records recording star, Tif McMillin.

The Stock Exchange Tree Lighting helps to kick-off GMC's prime-time line-up switching to all Christmas Programming at 8:00 p.m. (ET) later that night. A big part of the network Christmas programming is Gospel Music Channel's Christmas at Union Station, a series of five exclusive new GMC Original concert specials. In their own new special, Gospel Music Channel's Christmas at Union Station: George Huff & Mandisa features the two favorites singing classic and new music from their respective Christmas CD's. It can be seen on GMC Dec. 12, 14, 18, 22, 23 & 24.

Mandisa's thrilling voice first captivated fans when she was a finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. George Huff, a New Orleans native, gained widespread fame during the third season of American Idol when he finished fifth.

This New York tradition is believed to be Manhattan's oldest tree lighting ceremony. As in the past, 80,000 red, white, and blue bulbs will illuminate The Exchange's dramatic six 50' columns. The entire façade of The Exchange will also be transformed by 60,000 feet of electrical wire that will create an illuminated American flag measuring 40' high by 72' wide. The spectacular focal point will be the 54' Norway Spruce decorated with 10,000 multi-colored lights and 250 multi-colored balls topped off with a 6' star.

Gospel Music Channel is the nation's first and only 24/7 all music television network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is gospel/Christian music. It is one of the fastest-growing cable channels in television today; the network has more-than-doubled availability in 2007 alone and is now carried in all ten of the top ten markets and 23 of the top 25. Gospel Music Channel can be seen on various cable systems around the country.