Jordan Mailata, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson Making Christmas Special with Album Release
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PHILADELPHIA – There are times after home games, and after postgame showers, when Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson sit in Johnson’s car and wait for traffic to calm down.
While the Eagles' offensive linemen wait, they sometimes listen to what Kelce called “old, sad country songs, usually.”
Sometimes the two sing along.
“He has a very good voice,” Kelce said of Johnson.
How good?
“Everyone is going to be surprised when they hear Lane,” said another member of the offensive line, Jordan Mailata. “Sounds like Elvis, yeah, sounds like Elvis. Look, I know I'm gassing him up a little bit but just wait and see. You guys are going to say 'Wow, he's not too bad. He's pretty decent.’"
Wait-and-see is over.
The three linemen and many talented musicians will release ‘A Philly Special Christmas’ on Dec. 23.
A song from the album will be out on Friday, however.
Jordan Mailata
USA Today
Recorded at Rittenhouse Soundworks, Silent Partners, and Elm St studio, proceeds from the album will be donated to the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia.
Charlie Hall is the producer of the project with former Eagles pass rusher Connor Barwin as an executive producer.
“It was just fun to hang out in a pretty light atmosphere, drink some beers, and sing some Christmas songs,” said Kelce. “Outside of that, it’s extremely privileged and humbling to watch another person who’s as talented as some of these musicians are, work.”
The seven-song LP features classic holiday songs and performances from the three Eagles linemen as well as Lady Alma, Marshall Allen (Sun Ra Arkestra), Rob Hyman (The Hooters), Eric Bazilian (The Hooters), Zach Miller (Dr. Dog), and Robbie Bennett (The War on Drugs).
Others include Eliza Hardy Jones (The War on Drugs), Brandon Beaver (MeWithoutYou), Thomas Hughes (The Spinto Band), Randy Huth (Pissed Jeans), Nick Krill (The Spinto Band, Teen Men), Nasir Dickerson, Kaila Vandever, Mike “Slo-Mo” Brenner, and The Silver Ages.
Eagles announcer Merrill Reese and players Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, and Jordan Davis all make appearances.
As one-time Eagles LB Emmanuel Acho tweeted: “Imagine mauling 315-pound NFL linemen on Sunday afternoon, then going home and recording a Christmas Album before bed. This Eagles team is different.”
Mailata showed his talent for singing on ‘The Masked Singer’ as Thingamabob last fall.
Kelce and Johnson, well, we’ll see soon enough just how vocally talented they are.
Johnson said the Elvis comparison is a stretch, though he didn’t say it in precisely those words. More like, full of stuffing.
The right tackle does listen regularly to Elvis Presley, calling him “my go-to.”
“Mailata could always sing,” said Johnson. “Kelce and I enjoy singing. We’re decent at it, but we enjoy it more than anything. Before you know it, we got an album coming out. I’m not giving any secrets out until it comes out.”
Added Kelce: “What Jordan did you could call singing and what Lane did you could call singing. I don’t know if you could call what I did singing. I’m pretty much just a yeller in certain tones.
“There are some songs on there that I think will shock some people, especially people who haven’t heard Jordan Mailata sing. There’s at least one where he is just like…the song sounds like a legitimate pop hit. I think it could be huge.”
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
