We have been hearing the iconic song “Christmas City”. A song written and performed by the legendary Merv Griffin. How do you get Merv Griffin to write and sing a song for a little parade in a town of Duluth. Well, I found the story.

According to Paul Lundgren at perfectduluthday.com, Chris Rich said his Grandfather started the whole process, wanting an original song for the parade.

In the early 1960s a gentleman by the name of Don Peterson approached my grandfather with two songs he had written for the parade. “Christmas City” the up-beat toe tapping song that you can’t help but sing along with and “The Song of the Christmas City” a more slow tribute with a jazz feel similar to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”

My grandfather then asked a friend of his, Merv Griffin, if he would sing the songs and put it to music. This was well before Mr. Griffin had become the successful TV personality and media man that he would later become. Both Merv and his wife flew to Duluth, met with my grandparents and stayed at their house on London Road. Merv took the sheet music back to a recording studio in New York City where both songs we pressed on a 45rpm record with full big band orchestras. Merv’s wife also sang in one of the songs.


The song plays every year to promote the parade and is featured on KOOL 101.7 your home for the holidays. KOOL will be playing your favorite Holiday songs beginning the same day and time of the parade so you can enjoy the music while watching the parade.