Kelly Clarkson & Mary J. Blige headline New York Christmas party

Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis and Mary J. Blige officially kicked off the holidays in New York on Wednesday night (04Dec13) by performing at the 81st annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center celebration.

Brit Lewis got the show under the big tree in Manhattan started with her rendition of Wizzard's I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day, while other highlights included pregnant Clarkson's take on Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson's Blue Christmas, which has been recorded by Dean Martin, Willie Nelson and Elvis Presley, among others, Blige's jazzy cover of The Christmas Song and Mariah Carey's upbeat take on Joy to the World.

It was mostly an all-girls festive celebration with other appearances by Ariana Grande, Ashanti, Jewel and Lauren Alaina, while rockers the Goo Goo Dolls represented the men at the tree lighting ceremony.