BSB Don Myerson iPhone Photo of Keoneloa Bay
Shipwreck Beach's white sand, Hawaii

Don Meyerson and his wife are now back in Kauai, Hawaii. They left their Colorado home and his main BSB office. The photo was taken at 7:30 am a few blocks from their house In Koloa, enjoying the great weather "more walking than running these days."

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Transition to NMLS Extension Postponed to March 15, 2022
By Kenneth C. Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor

The California DFPI has extended the deadline for transitioning to the NMLS to March 15, 2022 for all those with a California license.

I had a long talk with the DFPI NMLS specialist and the agency is well aware that the transition process is not simple, and that many companies are having difficulty with it. I was also advised that if an application is pending but not approved when the deadline passes, your license will not be revoked. That is also good news.

This three-month extension should give everyone sufficient time to get the transition done. The process is confusing, but the folks at the DFPI are quite helpful.  I urge anyone having difficulty to call them. Still, don’t wait until the last minute!

Here is the announcement:
Extension - NMLS Transition for California Financing Law Licensees: Deadline Extended to March 15, 2022

Notice of Extension
The deadline for licensees under the California Financing Law not currently on NMLS to transition onto NMLS is extended to March 15, 2022. 

All licensees not yet on NMLS must establish an account in NMLS and submit their information through NMLS on or before the March 15, 2022 deadline. 

Begin by Establishing an Account in NMLS

Licensees seeking to transition onto NMLS may access NMLS's website here. From this homepage, select the button for "Getting Started - Company."

To facilitate creating an account in NMLS, all transitioning CFL licensees should be familiar with the documentation required when setting up the account. This NMLS Account Creation Help Document describes step-by-step how to create an NMLS account and the documents needed.

Input Licensee Information

After establishing an account, a licensee must input its information on two electronic forms (three electronic forms if the licensee has branch locations). Information about the licensee is entered on the "Company Form," MU1. Information about each key personnel (owners, officers, directors, managing members, partners, etc.) is entered on the "Individual Form," MU2. Information about branch locations/licenses is entered on the "Branch Form," MU3. After completing the applicable information, submit the information through NMLS.

NMLS has state-specific checklists to assist licensees transitioning onto NMLS, and FAQs for guidance on transitioning a license onto NMLS.  

Questions

For questions regarding the creation of an account in NMLS, contact the NMLS Call Center at (855) 665-7123. For questions regarding transitioning a CFL license onto NMLS, contact DFPI at CFL.Inquiries@dfpi.ca.gov or (866) 275-2677.

Finally, for those of you who missed it, here is a link to my Leasing News article from 12/8/21 outlining the CFL to NMLS transition process:
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Nov2021/11_15.htm#cfl

Ken Greene Leasing & Finance Observations
https://leasingnews.org/Pages/greene_observations.html

Ken Greene
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
ken@kengreenelaw.com
Alternate: kengreenelaw@outlook.com

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ELFA Webinar on the New Commercial Disclosure Laws
By Kenneth C. Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor

On December 15, 2021, I attended ELFA’s webinar entitled “ELFA State Advocacy New Year’s Resolutions: Prepare for Commercial Financing Disclosure Lawa in New York and California.” The esteemed panel included Scott Riehl, VP of State Government Relations for the ELFA, Bonnie Michael, a shareholder/attorney with Baker Donelson, Moorari Shah, a partner with Shephard Mullin, and Jeff Taft, a partner with Mayer Brown. I found it very insightful and want to share with you what I learned.

Here are my takeaways from the presentation:

1. Although the commercial disclosure laws are not final, we expect California to be the first to conclude its review process, and for the law to become effective within the next 4-6 months. New York should follow shortly thereafter.
2. Due to extensive, effective lobbying by the ELFA and others, true leases are excluded from the disclosure laws of both states. Whether that will be true in the three other states in the process of enacting disclosure laws (New Jersey, Connecticut and North Carolina) is unknown.
3. Although true leases are excluded under California and New York law, the scope of the law does include open-end, closed-end (including non-true leases), sales-based, factoring, and “other forms of financing (such as merchant cash advances).”
4. The dollar threshold for each law is $2.5 million in New York and $500k in California. Transactions in excess of these thresholds are exempt.
5. California disclosure laws apply to California borrowers. A safe harbor is included that allows providers to rely upon the business address in the application. New York is unclear as to its jurisdictional reach, something that will hopefully be cleared up before the law takes effect.
6. Banks in both California and New York are exempt from the disclosure laws. But bank subsidiaries are not! If a non-depository (non-bank) provider enters into a loan and contemporaneously assigns it to a bank, the non-depository provider must still make the disclosures.
7. Are all fees included in the APR? Not if they are “avoidable” i.e. late fees, collection costs, legal fees. There is much more information on this contained in Appendix J to Part 1026 of Reg. Z, which both California and New York largely draw upon in their formulae for determining which components need to be included in the finance charge/APR. Here’s the link: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/rules-policy/regulations/1026/j/
8. Other relevant links:

CA SB1235: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB1235
CA CODE OF REGULATIONS:
https://dfpi.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/337/2021/11/2021-11-05-Fourth-Modified-Text-SB-1235-Regulations.pdf
NY SB S5470B: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s5470
NY PROPOSED REGULATIONS:
https://www.dfs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/10/rp_23nycrr600_text_202110.pdf
APR TOOL:
https://www.ffiec.gov/calculators.htm

There will be a follow up ELFA webinar in February 2022. I highly recommend it to all.

Happy Holidays to all! Let’s hope for a return to normal in 2022!

Ken Greene, Attorney

Law Office of Kenneth Charles Greene
5743 Corsa Avenue Suite 208
Westlake Village, California 91362
Tel: 818.575.9095
Fax: 805.435.7464
ken@kengreenelaw.com
Alternate: kengreenelaw@outlook.com

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Help Wanted Ads

Top Ten Leasing News Read by Readers
December 13 to December 17

(1) Balboa Capital Now a
Division of Ameris Bank
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_15.htm#balboa

(2) Pictures from the Past
1993 Article: Balboa Capital/Griffin-Byrne
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_17.htm#pictures

(3) Why Bald Eagles
are photographed from the side
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_13.htm#why

(4) New Hires/Promotions in the Leasing Business
and Related Industries
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_17.htm#hires

(5) Reminder: Wednesday, December, 15, 1-2 p.m. EST Free Webinar
  Why it is Very Important
By Kenneth C. Greene, Leasing News Legal Editor
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_15.htm#webinar

(6) This Wednesday, Dec. 15, 1-2 p.m. ET
  Free ELFA Webinar on Commercial Financing
Oh, No! Disclosure Laws in New York and California
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_13.htm#webinar

(7) The Subject of Sex in the Recruiting Interview
Recruiter Hal T. Horowitz Speaks Out
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_17.htm#subject

(8) California DFPI to End High-Interest Rate Loans
for New & Used Automobiles Marketed by LoanMart for 21 Months
https://leasingnews.org/archives/Dec2021/12_15.htm#ca

(9) Deadly Amazon warehouse collapse puts spotlight
on phone ban, safety protocols
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/deadly-collapse-amazon-warehouse-puts-spotlight-phone-ban

(10) Texas LTL Carrier Central Freight to Close Doors
2,000 truck drivers and other employees out of a job
https://www.truckinginfo.com/10157755/texas-ltl-carrier-central-freight-to-close-doors

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##### Press Release ############################

Balboa Capital Survey: 8 in 10 Small Business Owners
Planning to Use Section 179 Deductions 

Survey results reveal 82 percent of small business owners plan to elect the Section 179 tax deduction for qualifying equipment purchased or financed in 2021.

COSTA MESA, Calif. – The results of a nationwide survey conducted by Balboa Capital, a top-rated business lender specializing in equipment financing and small business loans, reveal 82 percent of small business owners (“SBOs”) plan to use Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code to deduct the cost of qualifying equipment purchased or financed in 2021. Balboa Capital’s Section 179 survey was sent to a sample of SBOs in various industries during the first week of December 2021.

Kevin Umeda, Manager of Sales Planning and Coordination at Balboa Capital, said, “Section 179 provides welcome tax relief for eligible small businesses that invest in qualifying equipment, and the results of our survey reveal that a substantial number of SBOs are taking advantage of it.

“More than 80 percent of SBOs who responded to our survey are planning to elect the Section 179 tax deduction.”

Umeda added that small business owners who are thinking about making capital equipment purchases still have time to do so. “2021 is coming to a close, but Balboa Capital is positioned to help eligible SBOs reap the benefits of Section 179. We offer application-only funding for hard collateral of up to $500,000, with fast turnaround times. That means SBOs may be able to finance qualifying equipment, machinery, vehicles, software, technology and other expenditures before this year’s Section 179 deadline on December 31.”

Results of Balboa Capital’s 2021 Section 179 Survey include the
following:

• When asked how familiar they are with the Section 179 tax deduction, 17 percent of SBOs said “very familiar,” and 42 percent said “somewhat familiar.”
• 82 percent of SBOs plan to use Section 179 to deduct the cost of qualifying business equipment that was purchased or financed in 2021.
• 42 percent of SBOs are familiar with the Section 179 first-year bonus depreciation provision.
• 54 percent of SBOs plan to use the first-year bonus depreciation provision for qualifying equipment purchased or financed in 2020.
• Business vehicles topped the list of equipment that SBOs purchased or financed in 2021, followed by computers, software, heavy equipment, office equipment, office furniture, printing equipment and machinery.
• One in three SBOs said they would have purchased or financed more equipment in 2021 if they knew the Section 179 tax deduction limit was $1 million.
• 13 percent of SBOs did not purchase or finance any business equipment in 2021.
• 8 in 10 SBOs plan to invest in new or upgraded equipment during the first quarter of 2022.

Interested SBOs are encouraged to speak with their tax and accounting professionals about how they may be able to benefit from taking the Section 179 deduction.  This release is not intended to, and does not, constitute tax or accounting advice.

About Balboa Capital 
Balboa Capital, a division of Ameris Bank, is a technology-driven business lender that provides business owners with fast, hassle-free small business funding options to fuel their growth and success. The company specializes in small business loans, equipment financing, commercial financing, equipment vendor financing, and franchise financing. Balboa Capital developed an intuitive online platform that simplifies the entire financing process. Calculators provide instant estimates, applications can be completed and submitted in a matter of minutes, and sophisticated credit scoring technology provides instant decisions. To learn more, visit https://www.balboacapital.com/.

About Ameris Bank 
Ameris Bank manages more than $22 billion in assets and more than 200 financial centers across the Southeast. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ameris Bank is fiercely committed to bringing financial peace of mind to the communities it serves. A subsidiary of Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ: ABCB), Ameris Bank offers a full range of financial services, including traditional banking and lending products, treasury and cash management, wealth management, insurance premium financing, and mortgage and refinancing solutions. Learn more about Ameris Bank and its full range of financial services at www.amerisbank.com.

### Press Release ############################

 

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### Press Release ############################

Certified Lease and Financial Professionals
2021 Accomplishment Report

https://leasingnews.org/PDF/clfp_accomplishment2021.pdf

#### Press Release #############################

Coonhound Tree Walker/Mix
Wilmington, Delaware  Adopt-a-Dog

Zeus

DHA-A-8595
Male
59.6 lbs.
Five Years three months
Location: DHA Wilmington,
Canine Orange Sandy Beach Village

Adult-Only Home Preferred, Adventurous,
Affectionate, Athletic, Food Motivated
Good with Dogs Goof-ball, Smarty-Pants

Calling all hound lovers! Meet Zeus! He's a 5-year-old purebred tree walking coonhound weighing roughly 60lbs. Zeus came to us from an over-crowded shelter in West Virginia where he was originally surrendered by his previous owner. He's your typical Coonhound who's smart, eager to please, and always has his nose to the ground. Zeus most likely lived outside in his previous life and now enjoys any time he can get outside of his kennel and in our fields. He's highly treat-motivated and quickly bonds with his handlers. Since being with us, Zeus has improved his leash walking skills with a harness and is picking up on "sit and "here. Zeus is ideally seeking a home with hound experience and lots of land for him to run. Zeus gets along well with other dogs, will most likely need a home without cats, and would prefer a home without young kiddos.

Be sure to check back for more, but again, please do not hesitate to submit a questionnaire! Our adoption process is on a first come, best match basis and we are not able to hold animals. If the animal you are looking to meet has been adopted before your visit, we will work with you to find another match! All household members (including current dogs for dog adoptions) must come along for the meeting to make sure everyone gets along. If a match is made, you will take your new friend for life home that day! Our adoption fees include the animals' spay/neuter, microchip, age-appropriate vaccinations and preventatives, and a small bag of food to get you started!

Delaware Humane Society
701 A Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
(302) 571-0111
info@delawarehumane.org

Adoption Procedure:
https://delawarehumane.org/adopt/how-to-adopt/

Hours to Adopt:
Tuesday - Sunday, 12pm - 5pm
Closed Mondays

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Leasing/Finance/Business Loan Schools
   Several Have Many Long Term Programs

Commercial Capital Training Group

Commercial Finance Academy

Equipment Broker School

Global Leasing

Wheeler Leasing School

https://leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/School-Franchisors.htm

 

News Briefs---

‘Buy now, pay later’ companies Affirm, After pay, Klarna,
     PayPal and Zip get caught up in CFPB probe
https://www.yahoo.com/now/buy-now-pay-later-companies-235436226.html

COVID’s labor market shakeup:
    This is where the missing 3.6M workers went
https://nypost.com/2021/12/17/how-covid-shook-up-the-labor-market/

JPMorgan hit with $200 million in fines over
     use of encrypted messaging apps
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/jpmorgan-hit-200-million-fines-use-encrypted-messaging-apps-rcna9208

California pot companies warn of impending industry collapse
     Over Taxation and Fees pushing creating more Illegal Sales
https://news.yahoo.com/california-pot-companies-warn-impending-202704687.html

How a Former Banker is Servicing Clients that
     Turned Down Alternative Funding Offers
https://debanked.com/2021/12/how-a-former-banker-servicing/

Sky high lumber prices are back
      floods in British Columbia limit supply
https://www.wsj.com/articles/sky-high-lumber-prices-are-back-11639842879?st=6gqhaqcw3lapa2p&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

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You May Have Missed---

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/12/18/omicron-covid-tests/

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Sports Briefs---

Grinding towards the playoffs, 49ers pound Falcons for 31-13 win
https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/49ers/article/Grinding-towards-the-playoffs-49ers-pound-16714503.php

Cowboys handle Giants, inch closer toward capturing NFC East crow
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2021/12/19/dallas-cowboys-new-york-giants-score-nfc-east/8962493002/

Denver QB Teddy Bridgewater taken to hospital with head injury
https://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/19801/Teddy-Bridgewater-taken-to-hospital-with-head-injury

Colts WR Michael Pittman, Patriots DB Kyle Dugger ejected for fighting
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2021/12/18/michael-pittman-kyle-dugger-ejected-fighting-patriots-colts/8958391002/

NBA postpones 5 more games amid virus outbreak
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/nba-postpones-5-more-games-amid-virus-outbreak/

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California Nuts Briefs---

Monterey: Naval Postgraduate School professor
    wins ‘Jeopardy’ tournament
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/19/monterey-naval-postgraduate-school-professor-wins-jeopardy-tournament/

Proposed skyscraper at 50 Main will be 2nd tallest in San Francisco
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/new-san-francisco-skyscraper-will-be-2nd-tallest-16708382.php



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"Gimme that wine"

Seeing 2021 Out With a Pop, a Pour and a Fizz
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/16/dining/drinks/new-years-champagne-sparkling-wine.html

Wine report confirms massive Australian glut
https://indaily.com.au/news/business/2021/12/16/wine-report-confirms-massive-australian-glut/

Wine Booming as an Investment Option
https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2021/12/wine-booming-as-an-investment-option

“Gimme that Wine”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJnQoi8DSE8

Free Wine App
https://www.nataliemaclean.com/mobileapp/

Wine Prices by vintage
http://www.winezap.com
http://www.wine-searcher.com/

This Day in History

     1606 - Three small ships ("Susan Constant," "Godspeed" and "Discovery") departed London, England, bound for America. Captain Christopher Newport commanded the three tiny ships, which are now on display at Jamestown village in Virginia, where the royally chartered Virginia Company's approximately 120 persons established the first permanent English settlement. They arrived May 14, 1607. When the next ship arrived a year later with additional provisions, there were no survivors. What happened is still a mystery today. It is believed that the survivors joined Indian tribes, and were not murdered or died from disease as there was no evidence to this conclusion. Most of the passengers were gentry, meaning they were not prepared for labor, farming, hunting, or surviving without any experience in unknown territory. This was not the first attempt at permanent settlement in the United States. The Norwegians, Dutch, Spanish, and perhaps Africans, landed here and established colonies. Many of them were invaded by subsequent landings, some were assimilated into Indian life, such as in Newfoundland, Florida and the islands, where it is believed Africans were the first to land in this area, including South America.
    1669 - History records the first rebellion by colonists, led by Marcus Jacobson, “The Long Finne,” who claimed to be the son of General Hans Christoph Konigsmark.  It happened against an English governor in Delaware, Governor Francis Lovelace. Jacobson was trapped and turned over to the English commandant. On December 20, 1669, he was condemned for insurrection in the first trial by jury in Delaware. He was lashed in public, branded with a letter R, and sold in chains as a slave in Barbados.
    1790 - In Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 23-year-old British subject Samuel Slater began production of the first American spinning mill. The British jealously guarded their technological superiority in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution, making it illegal for machinery, plans and even the men who built and repaired them to leave the country. After serving a 7-year mill apprenticeship in England, Slater recognized the potential offered in America. He memorized the plans for intricate machine specifications, disguised himself as a farm worker and in 1789 sailed to a new life across the Atlantic. Slater entered into a partnership with Rhode Island merchant Moses Brown and built a small spinning mill--the equivalent of 72 spinning wheels. At first, Slater's Mill employed only a handful of children between the ages of 7 and 12, but by 1800, he had more than 100 employees. By the time of Slater's death in 1835, he owned or had an interest in 13 textile mills and left an estate of almost $700,000. From this small beginning, America's own Industrial Revolution grew.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/dec20.html
    1803 - One of the greatest real estate deals in history was completed when more than 800,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory were turned over to the US by France, for a prize of about $20 per square mile.  The U.S. paid $11,250,000 and a cancellation of debts for a total of $15,000,000. This almost doubled the size of the US, extending its western border to the Rocky Mountains.  France's failure to put down the revolt in Saint-Dominique, coupled with the prospect of renewed warfare with the United Kingdom, prompted Napoleon to sell Louisiana to the United States. The Louisiana Purchase occurred during the term of President Thomas Jefferson.  Before the purchase was finalized, the decision faced Federalist Party opposition; they argued that it was unconstitutional to acquire any territory. Jefferson agreed that the US Constitution did not contain explicit provisions for acquiring territory, but he asserted that his constitutional power to negotiate treaties was sufficient.
    1820 - Missouri enacted taxation legislation placing a $1 tax “on every unmarried free white male, above the age of 21 years and under 50 years.”
    1821 - The first record of a “Christmas tree” in the United States was mentioned in the diary of Matthew Zahm of Lancaster, PA., and other German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought the custom of decorated trees from their homeland. History records the first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.
    1833 - Birthday of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd (d. 1883), near Bryantown, MD. In the hysteria of the time, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for giving medical aid to disguised John Wilkes Booth, fleeing assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Imprisoned four years before being pardoned by President Andrew Johnson.
    1836 - A famous cold wave occurred in central Illinois. A cold front with 70 mph winds swept through at Noon dropping the temperature from 40 degrees to near zero in a matter of minutes. Many settlers froze to death. Folklore told of chickens frozen in their tracks and men frozen to saddles. Ice in streams reportedly froze to six inches in a few hours.
    1849 - A major event in San Francisco as 25 women arrived on different vessels today.
    1856 - Newberry College was chartered in Newberry, SC, under Lutheran auspices. The campus moved to Walhalla, SC, in 1868, but returned to Newberry in 1877
http://www.newberry.edu/
    1860 - In response to the victory of Republican Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election six weeks before, the South Carolina legislature voted to secede from the US, the first state to do so.  “...are hereby repealed; and that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other States under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved.” Within six weeks, five more states seceded. On February 4, 1861, representatives from the six states met at Montgomery, Alabama, to establish a government, and on February 9, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America. By June, 1861, 11 states had seceded from the Union.
    1864 - Confederate forces evacuated Savannah as Union Gen. William T. Sherman continued his "March to the Sea."
    1868 - American industrialist, businessman and founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, Harvey Samuel Firestone (d. 1938), was born at Columbiana County, OH. A close friend of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and John Burroughs, Firestone was also author of two books about rubber.
    1879 - Thomas Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, N.J.
    1880 - Broadway, New York's main thoroughfare, was illuminated by electricity for the first time, between 14th and 26th Streets.
    1881 - Wesley Branch Rickey (d. 1965), player, manager and executive, born at Lucasville, OH. Rickey was baseball’s most innovative general manager. He invented the farm system, instituted unique training and teaching methods and, most prominently, signed Jackie Robinson to play Major League baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers, breaking the racial barriers against African-Americans that had existed for decades. Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967.
http://newschannel2000.com/sh/sports/columnist/stories/
columnists-20000821-134738.html
    1886 - Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss Wightman (d. 1974), tennis player, was born at Healdsburg, CA. Known as the “Queen Mother of Tennis,” Wightman was a championship player, an instructor, a benefactor and the donor of the Wightman Cup, a trophy offered for competition between teams of women players from the US and England.
    1893 - Georgia passed a statute against lynching, “an act to prevent mob violence in this state...” Violators were guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment of up to 20 years. If death resulted, a murder charge could be instituted.
    1895 - Susanne Langer (d. 1985), was born at New York, NY.  A leading American philosopher, author of “Philosophy in a New Key: A Study in the Symbolism of Reason, Rite, and Art.”  Her studies of esthetics and art exerted a profound influence on thinking in the fields of psychology, philosophy and the social sciences.
    1907 - Birthday of lyricist Paul Francis Webster (d. 1984), New York City.
http://www.imdb.com/Name?Webster,+Paul+Francis
http://awards.fennec.org/w/webster_paul_francis.html
http://www.basstabs.net/tab/bass/Paul_Francis_Webster.asp
    1914 - The high temperature of 28 degrees at Atlanta, GA was their earliest daily high below the freezing mark.
    1918 - Birthday of saxophone player John Hardee (d. 1984), Corsicana, TX. “Hardee was a multi-instrumentalist who played piano, mellophone, C-melody saxophone, alto, and tenor sax. He worked with Don Albert as a tenor player before returning to college. After graduation, he worked as a band director in Texas and played the clarinet in the military band. Hardee went to New York to pursue his musical career, and worked with Tiny Grimes from 1946 to 1948. Most of the work he recorded was done on 78 rpm records at the precise time that the LP format was killing off 78s as the recorded medium of choice. His work wasn't released on LP and was lost and forgotten for some time, even though his playing put him on a par with Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster. So what happened? Basically a crisis of self-confidence. The jazz scene in New York was extremely competitive at the time and Hardee simply didn't have the stomach for it. He felt that he could have filled the chair vacated by Ben Webster in the Duke Ellington orchestra, and the recorded evidence, now available on CD, supports that assertion. I strongly recommend either the Chronological Jazz Series release “John Hardee: 1946-1948” or the EMI import “John Hardee Swingtettes: Tired.” We're very lucky to have these performances saved and available for our pleasure. Had Hardee continued to be part of the New York scene he would undoubtedly have become a major tenor player whose contribution and influence would still be widely discussed. Hardee returned to Texas, teaching in Dallas for most of the rest of his life. No doubt he passed on a lot of wisdom to the kids who learned music from him.” Marshall Bowden
    1920 - An English-born comedian Leslie Downes, who would later be known as Bob Hope, became an American citizen. Having lived in the United States since 1908, he became one of the nation's true ambassadors for show business and charity.
    1921 - At the Major League meetings, the AL voted to return to the best-of-seven World Series, while the NL voted to keep the five-of-nine format. Commissioner Landis cast the deciding vote and the four-of-seven format is reinstated.
    1938 - The kinescope, today known as the cathode-ray tube, was patented by Russian immigrant Vladimir Zworykin. It is still used today in computer monitors and television sets.
    1939 - Birthday of singer Kim Weston, Detroit, MI
http://www.delafont.com/music_acts/Kim-Weston.htm
    1940 - Tony Pastor records “Paradiddle Joe.” Bluebird 11008)
    1940 – Connie Mack bought a controlling interest in the Philadelphia Athletics from the Shibe family, for $42,500.
    1941 - First battle of the American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers" in China. The group consisted of three fighter squadrons of around 30 aircraft each. It trained in Burma before the American entry into World War II with the mission of defending China against Japanese forces. The group of volunteers were officially members of the Chinese Air Force. While it accepted some civilian volunteers for its headquarters and ground crew, the AVG recruited most of its staff from the U.S. military.
    1942 - An early cold wave sent the temperature plunging to 3 degrees below zero at Nantucket, MA, and to 11 degrees below zero at Boston, MA.
    1942 - Birthday of piano player Larry Willis (d. 2019), New York City
http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/artists/larry_willis.htm
http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/reviews/08532.html
    1943 - VOSLER, FORREST T., (Air Mission) Medal of Honor
Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 358th Bomber Squadron, 303d Bomber Group. Place and date. Over Bremen, Germany, 20 December 1943. Entered service at: Rochester, N.Y. Born: 29 July 1923, Lyndonville, N.Y. G.O. No.: 73, 6 September 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio operator-air gunner on a heavy bombardment aircraft in a mission over Bremen, Germany, on 20 December 1943. After bombing the target, the aircraft in which T/Sgt. Vosler was serving was severely damaged by antiaircraft fire, forced out of formation, and immediately subjected to repeated vicious attacks by enemy fighters. Early in the engagement a 20-mm. cannon shell exploded in the radio compartment, painfully wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the legs and thighs. At about the same time a direct hit on the tail of the ship seriously wounded the tail gunner and rendered the tail guns inoperative. Realizing the great need for firepower in protecting the vulnerable tail of the ship, T/Sgt. Vosler, with grim determination, kept up a steady stream of deadly fire. Shortly thereafter another 20-mm. enemy shell exploded, wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the chest and about the face. Pieces of metal lodged in both eyes, impairing his vision to such an extent that he could only distinguish blurred shapes. Displaying remarkable tenacity and courage, he kept firing his guns and declined to take first-aid treatment. The radio equipment had been rendered inoperative during the battle, and when the pilot announced that he would have to ditch, although unable to see and working entirely by touch, T/Sgt. Vosler finally got the set operating and sent out distress signals despite several lapses into unconsciousness. When the ship ditched, T/Sgt. Vosler managed to get out on the wing by himself and hold the wounded tail gunner from slipping off until the other crewmembers could help them into the dinghy. T/Sgt. Vosler's actions on this occasion were an inspiration to all serving with him. The extraordinary courage, coolness, and skill he displayed in the face of great odds, when handicapped by injuries that would have incapacitated the average crewmember, were outstanding
    1945 - Eddie Condon’s Club opens in the Village, New York City.  The first of three successive jazz venues was located on West 3rd Street, followed by 52nd Street near Sixth Avenue, the present site of the CBS headquarters building. The final venue was on the south side of East 54th Street, east of Second Avenue.
http://search.centerstage.net/music/whoswho/EddieCondon.html
http://www.edsite2.fsnet.co.uk/Eddie%20Condon.htm
    1946 - The Christmas film, “It’s a Wonderful Life” by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart and Donna Reed, opened in New York.  Capra produced and directed it, based on the short story and booklet, “The Greatest Gift,”, which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is, in turn, loosely based on the 1843 Charles Dickens novella, “A Christmas Carol.” It's considered one of the greatest films of all time. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and has been recognized by the AFI as one of the 100 best American films ever made; No. 11 on their 1998 greatest movie list, No. 20 on its 2007 greatest movie list, and No. 1 on its list of the most inspirational American films of all time. Capra revealed that it was his favorite among the films he directed and that he screened it for his family every Christmas season. It was one of Stewart's favorite films.  In 1990, the film was designated as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
    1949 - Harry Belafonte recorded his second session at Capitol Records, waxing the songs "Whispering" and "Farewell to Arms." With eight songs recorded and little enthusiasm from record buyers, Capitol decided not to renew the singer’s contract. He relocated to RCA Victor in April, 1952 where he enjoyed a successful career.
    1949 - Top Hits
I Can Dream, Can’t I? - The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocal: Jack Leonard)
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry
White Christmas - Bing Crosby
Mule Train - Tennessee Ernie Ford
    1952 - Jimmy Boyd hit #1 on the record charts with the Christmas song of the year, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”
    1954 - The Buick Motor Company signed Jackie Gleason to one of the largest contracts ever with an entertainer. Gleason would produce 78 half-hour long shows over two years for $6,142,500.
    1956 - The Montgomery Bus Boycott came to an end.  The US Supreme Court ruling of Nov 13, 1956, calling for integration of the Montgomery, AL public bus system, was implemented. Since Dec 5, 1955, the black community of Montgomery had refused to ride on the segregated buses. The boycott was in reaction to the Dec 1, 1955, arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white man.
    1957 – The Boeing 707 made its first flight.  Developed as Boeing's first jet airliner, the 707 is a swept-wing design with podded engines. Although it was not the first jetliner in service, the 707 was the first to be commercially successful. Dominating passenger air transport in the 1960s and remaining common through the 1970s, the 707 is generally credited with ushering in the Jet Age. 
    1957 - Top Hits
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis Presley
Jingle Bell Rock - Bobby Helms
At the Hop - Danny & The Juniors
My Special Angel - Bobby Helms
    1957 - Just five days before Christmas, Elvis received his draft notice from the US Army. He later told reporters that it's a "duty I've got to fill and I'm going to do it." He will be inducted at the Memphis Draft Board in March of 1958 and assigned to Fort Hood, Texas for basic training for six months.
    1960 – Charles O. Finley, an insurance executive from Chicago, bought 52% controlling interest in the Philadelphia Athletics from the Arnold Johnson estate.  Johnson has acquired the club from the Connie Mack family in 1954 before moving the team to Kansas City.  Finley moved the team to Oakland for the 1968 season, where they remain.
    1961 - Birthday of Dallas Cowboy premier lineman Nathaniel “Nate” Newton, Jr., Orlando, TX.
    1963 – The Berlin Wall, dividing East and West Berlin in Germany, was opened for the first time to West Berliners, who were allowed one-day visits to relatives in the Eastern sector for the holidays.
    1965 - “The Dating Game” premiered on TV. Another game show developed by Chuck Barris, it typically featured a “bachelorette” who questioned three men who were hidden from her view and decided, based on their answers, which guy appealed to her the most. The couple was then sent on a date, courtesy of the show. Occasionally, a bachelor would question three women. Jim Lange was the host of the network series and two syndicated ones. Elaine Joyce and Jeff MacGregor hosted one season each on the retitled “The New Dating Game.”
    1965 - Top Hits
Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds
Over and Over - The Dave Clark Five
I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown
Make the World Go Away - Eddy Arnold
    1966 - The NBA granted a franchise to Seattle for the 1967-68 season. The SuperSonics, as the team was nicknamed, were joined by the San Diego Clippers, to become the league’s 11 and 12th teams.  The Sonics relocated for the 2008-09 season to Oklahoma City where they are known as the Thunder and the Clippers moved to Los Angeles for the start of the 1984 season.
    1966 - Otis Redding Show opens at the Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, California.
http://rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=177
    1967 - The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy (He's My Brother)" is released.
    1968 – The Zodiac killer killed Betty Lou Jenson and David Faraday in Vallejo, CA.  The killer's identity remains unknown.  Between December, 1968 and October, 1969, four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters included four cryptograms.   
    1969 – “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, jumped into the Number 1 spot on this date on Billboard's Top 40 record charts and was in the top slot for one week.
    1973 - Top Hits
The Most Beautiful Girl - Charlie Rich
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
Amazing Love - Charley Pride
    1973 – It is rare that we bring up a person passing away…multi-talented entertainer Bobby Darin, born in East Harlem as Walden Robert Cassotto, died at age 37 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles while undergoing surgery to remove two malfunctioning artificial valves in his heart. According to the biography written by son Dodd, Darin's hospitalization and subsequent death was brought on by not taking prescribed antibiotics before a teeth-cleaning procedure. Darin had a history of heart problems. [It is rumored is that he was born with a rheumatic heart and he knew he would die young.] He did not die of a spinal infection as is commonly rumored. He left a legacy of memories in rock ’n’ roll and pop tunes, as well as on television and in movies (even an Oscar nomination for his role in "Captain Newman, M.D."). The story of Darin being groomed to replace Frank Sinatra at Capitol Records is absolutely true. Unfortunately, Capitol didn’t think the grooming was going so well and withheld many of Darin’s songs for many years; releasing them in a compilation CD in 1995. Good stuff to listen to: "Splish Splash," "Queen of the Hop," "Dream Lover," "Mack the Knife," "Beyond the Sea," and "If I Were a Carpenter." At the end, Darin, who had recorded for Atco, Capitol and Atlantic Records had just begun recording for Motown.
    1975 - Paul Simon’s "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" jumped on U.S. singles charts. It hit number one (for three weeks) Feb 7, 1976. For you trivia fans out there, this is Paul Simon’s only #1 single (so far). “Just slip out the back, Jack; Make a new plan, Stan; You don't need to be coy, Roy; Just get yourself free...”
    1975 - Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" is released.
    1975 - Buffalo's O.J. Simpson scores a touchdown (vs. Minnesota) in his 14th straight game. The streak started against the New York Jets on Sept. 21. He was a great football player, but most likely a murderer, nevertheless.
http://images.nfl.com/history/images/1220.jpg
    1978 – Willard Mullin, 76, the nation's top sports cartoonist and creator of the "Brooklyn Bum," died at Corpus Christi, TX. He was widely published: he cartooned daily for the New York World-Telegram and Sun for decades and was often published in the Sporting News.    
    1979 – “Knots Landing” debuted on CBS, starring Ted Shackelford and Joan Van Ark as Gary and Valene Ewing.
    1980 - Television experimented with football when NBC covered the meaningless NFL game between the New York Jets (4-11) and the Miami Dolphins (8-7) with no announcers in the booth. The only thing heard were field noises and spectators as the pictures tried to get across the emotion of the game. The next day headlines read, "Jets Silence Dolphins 24-17."
    1980 - In a major blunder, the Red Sox missed the Basic Agreement deadline to tender contracts for certain veterans, permitting All-Stars Fred Lynn and Carlton Fisk to be eligible for free agency.  Lynn signed with the Angels and Fisk with the White Sox.
    1981 - Top Hits
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Waiting for a Girl like You - Foreigner
Let’s Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire
All Roads Lead to You - Steve Wariner
    1983 - Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins was named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. He became the first head coach to receive this honor in consecutive years since 1961-62 (when Allie Sherman, of the New York Giants, was so honored). Joe Gibbs took the Redskins to a 14-2 finish in the 1983 season.   
    1983 - Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadians scored the 500th goal of his career in a 6-0 victory over the New York Rangers. Lafleur played 17 years in the NHL and finished his career with 560 regular-season goals.
    1985 - Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders assisted on Mike Bossy’s goal against the New York Rangers to earn the 916th point of his career, breaking Bobby Orr’s NHL record for the most career points by a defenseman
    1985 - Robert Penn Warren was designated Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry of the U.S. Library of Congress for 1986-1987. The library has used consultants since 1937, when Joseph Auslander was appointed the first Consultant in Poetry, but Robert Penn Warren was the first to be called Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry.
    1986 - The Bangles’ "Walk like an Egyptian" moved to the top of the "Billboard Hot 100." It was #1 for three weeks. “Foreign types with the hookah pipes say; Ay oh whey oh, ay oh whey oh; Walk like an Egyptian...”
    1987 - Heavy snow fell in the northern mountains of Colorado, with 15 inches reported in the Mary Jane ski area. Strong and gusty winds prevailed from the Northern High Plains to the Great Lakes. Winds gusted to 54 mph at Buffalo, NY and reached 66 mph at Livingston, MT. Rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow fell across New England, with up to seven inches of snow in Maine.
    1988 - Warner Chappell, a division of Warner Communications and the largest music publisher in the world, agreed to pay $25 million for the song "Happy Birthday to You." The song, owned by Birchtree Ltd., reportedly generated $1 million a year in royalty fees. The copyright would expire after the year 2010 and is expected to fall into the public domain. The melody of probably the most often sung song in the world was composed by Mildred J. Hill, a schoolteacher. Her younger sister Patty Hill was the author of the lyrics which were first published in 1893 as “Good Morning to All,” a classroom greeting published in the book Songs Stories for the Sunday School.” The lyrics were amended in 1924 to include a stanza beginning “Happy Birthday to You.” Now it is sung somewhere in the world every minute of the day, although the authors are believed to have earned very little from song. Mildred Hill died at Chicago, Il, June 5, 1916, without knowing that her melody would become the world’s most popular song.
    1988 - Thunderstorms developing ahead of a fast-moving cold front produced severe weather in the Upper Ohio Valley and the Middle Atlantic Coast Region during the afternoon and early evening. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 69 mph at Kennedy Airport in New York City, and winds along the cold front itself gusted to 56 mph at Cincinnati, OH. The same storm produced snow in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois, with eight inches reported at Rolla, MO.
    1989 - Top Hits
We Didn’t Start the Fire - Billy Joel
Another Day in Paradise - Phil Collins
Don’t Know Much - Linda Ronstadt (featuring Aaron Neville)
Two Dozen Roses - Shenandoah
    1989 - Brutal northwest winds ushered bitter cold arctic air into the north central U.S. International Falls, MN, and Warroad, MN, tied for honors as the cold spot in the nation with morning lows of 34 degrees below zero. Minot, ND reported a wind chill reading of 81 degrees below zero. Squalls produced more heavy snow in the Great Lakes Region. Erie, PA received 21 inches of snow, including four inches in one hour, to bring their total snow cover to 39 inches, an all-time record for that location.
    1989 - The US launched “Operation Just Cause,” invading Panama in an attempt to seize Manuel Noriega and bring him to justice for narcotics trafficking. Seven months after Noriega had ruled unfavorable election results null and void, the US toppled the Noriega government and oversaw the installation of Guillermo Endara as president. Although the initial military action was declared a success, Noriega eluded capture.  He surrendered to US troops on Jan 4, 1990, and was tried, convicted and imprisoned in the US.
    1989 - Captain Linda L. Bray, 29, became the first woman to command American soldiers in battle, during the invasion of Panama by the U.S. as an MP. She was assigned to lead a force of 30 men and women soldiers to capture a kennel holding guard dogs that was defended by forces of the Panamanian Defense force. Although law forbids women in combat, the distinction between combat and military police in the Panama invasion was hazy. About 620 women were stationed in Panama before the attack and about 170 more women went to Panama in the attack. No women were killed, but 23 American men were. Eight American women lost their lives serving in Vietnam, the Army said. The 123-member 988th Military Police company commanded by Captain Bray was sent to Panama from Fort Benning, Ga. One Army officer, although stressing the difference in training between that given an MP officer such as Bray and that given combat officers added, "What has been demonstrated is the ability of women to lead, for men and women to work together as a team without distractions, and for women to react in an aggressive manner."
The official army report stated Capt. Bray was not in attendance when the initial fighting erupted, but her unit was under fire from snipers while she was on the scene. She oversaw the first stages of the operation by radio from a command center about a half-mile from the kennel. She ordered her troops to fire warning shorts after the Panamanians refused to surrender. The Panamanians replied by firing for about 10 minutes. She ordered the firing of a single warning shot and then later ordered her soldiers to fire M-60 machine guns to the side of the building so as not to hurt the Panamanians. The Panamanians continued to fire until threatened by an artillery attack and then they fled into the woods nearby. When she heard the Panamanians were escaping, she had her driver take her to the kennel to try to stop them. She crawled into a ditch to get closer to the building. No Panamanian bodies were found, but a cache of weapons was recovered.
    1989 - Low pressure brought thunderstorms and high winds to the northeastern U.S. There were 193 reports of damaging winds with thunderstorms in New York State, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Tornadoes touched down near Seaside Park, NJ and McAlevys Port, PA. Winds with thunderstorms gusted to 92 mph at Poughkeepsie, NY and reached 94 mph at Newburgh, NY. High winds in the Washington, D.C. area, gusting to 73 mph, resulted in one death.
    1995 - "Nixon" opened in U.S. theatres. The film starred Anthony Hopkins as Richard M., Joan Allen as the president’s wife, Pat, Powers Boothe as Alexander Haig, Ed Harris as E. Howard Hunt, Bob Hoskins as J. Edgar Hoover, E.G. Marshall as John Mitchell, David Paymer as Ronald Ziegler, David Hyde Pierce as John Dean, Paul Sorvino as Henry Kissinger, Mary Steenburgen as Hannah Nixon, J.T. Walsh as John Ehrlichman, and James Woods played H.R. Haldeman.
    1998 - Green Bay’s Brett Favre connected three times with Antonio Freeman in the first half against the Tennessee Oilers, soon to be renamed Titans, en route to a 30-22 victory this day. In doing so, Favre became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for 30 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons (33 in 1994, 38 in 1995, 39 in 1996, 35 in 1997, and 30 in 1998).
    1998 - President Bill Clinton was impeached by a House of Representatives that was divided along party lines. He was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from a sexual relationship with a White House intern. He was then tried by the Senate in January 1999. On Feb 12, 1999, the Senate acquitted him on both charges. Clinton was only the second US president to undergo impeachment proceedings. He did not run for re-election because he had served the maximum two terms as president. His wife Hillary was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York.
    1998 - Snowflakes fell in San Francisco and low temperature records were made around the Bay with 40 degrees in SF and 35 in Fremont.
    2001 - The Jean Yawkey Trust announced that all the partners have unanimously voted to sell 100 percent of the Red Sox, a family-owned business since 1933 under Tom Yawkey, to a group of investors led by Florida Marlins owner John Henry who also owned a one percent share of the Yankees. The price tag, rumored to be $600+ million, doubled the largest amount ever spent to buy a team.
    2002 - Money making figures for 2002's top grossing Rock artists were as follows:
Paul McCartney - $126.1 million
The Rolling Stones - $90 million
Cher - $67.6 million
Neil Diamond - $52.2 million
Britney Spears - $43.7 million
Aerosmith - $36.3 million
Eagles - $34.9 million
'N Sync - $33 million
The top grossing country artist was Kenny Chesney at $22.7 million.
    2003 - "The Diary of Alicia Keys" gives the young R&B sensation her second No. 1 debut on The Billboard 200.
    2006 - A major winter storm affected Colorado, dumping several feet of snow on areas of the Rocky Mountains. The snowstorm temporarily closed the Denver International Airport.
    2009 - The top 10 most-played holiday songs in the ASCAP repertory this holiday season are:
1. "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - played 118,918 times
2. "Jingle Bell Rock" (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Roth Boothe) - played 118,601 times
3. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) - played 101,614 times
4. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - played 89,348 times
5. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - played 77,599 times
6. "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - played 74,360 times.
7. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny Marks) - played 57,948 times
8. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone) - played 55,617 times.
9. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) - played 51,072 times
10. "Frosty the Snowman" (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins) - played 51,068 times
    2011 - Grammy organizers announced that Diana Ross, Glen Campbell, The Allman Brothers Band and The Memphis Horns would receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2012 ceremony.
    2012 - Intercontinental Exchange, Atlanta, purchased the New York Stock Exchange, the largest stock exchange in the world, for $8.2 billion.
    2014 - U.S. officials returned four Afghan prisoners to Afghanistan after more than ten years of detention in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  The Obama administration was working to clear and release remaining prisoners in order to close the facility.
    2021 – The ten most-played/streamed holiday songs for 2020:

• Mariah Carey, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff co-wrote and recorded the song in 1994.
• Wham! "Last Christmas."  Written by George Michael and performed by Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in 1984.
• Ariana Grande, "Santa Tell Me."  Grande co-wrote the song with Savan Kotecha and Ilya and performed it in 2014.
• Michael Bublé, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas.”  The song was written in 1951 by Meredith Willson and Buble did a cover of it for his 2011 "Christmas" album.
• Brenda Lee, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."  It was written by Johnny Marks and recorded by Brenda Lee in 1958. The song has gone on to sell over 25 million copies.
• Bobby Helms, "Jingle Bell Rock."  The song was first released by Helms in 1957 and was reportedly composed by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe.
• Andy Williams, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."  The song was written in 1963 by Edward Pola and George Wyle, then it was recorded and released in the same year by Williams.
• Justin Bieber, "Mistletoe."  The song was part of the 2011 album "Under the Mistletoe." It was written by Bieber and his producers, Nasri and Adam Messinger. 
• Kelly Clarkson, "Underneath the Tree."  The song is from her sixth studio album and first Christmas album, "Wrapped in Red" released in 2013. It was written by Clarkson with Greg Kurstin.
• Dean Martin, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"  This classic was written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945, ironically during a heatwave in California. Frank Sinatra recorded it in 1950, followed up by Martin's version in 1959.