With a middle name like Noel, it was only a matter of time before Richard Marx released a Christmas album.

The singer told San Diego sister station KyXy that he grew up in a household that worshiped the holiday.

“I was raised by a mother who loved ever sliver of Christmas, every aspect,” he said. “There constantly was music playing in my house; it was decorated and all lit up. It was a fun way to grow up.”

Richard said even now he is surrounded by Christmas cheer thanks to his wife, Cynthia, who was actually the one who encouraged him to make a Christmas album.

Five years ago, she asked Richard if he would record a classic holiday song with his three sons, who he cleverly calls The Marx Brothers. Him and his boys now record a new song every year. “It’s our yearly musical Christmas card,” the singer said.

Though making a Christmas album never appealed to him (“I don’t cover songs. I’m a songwriter”), for his wife he was willing to make an acception and when it was all done with, his first holiday release, Christmas Spirit, became a nod to the past.

“I wanted you to think Phil Spector had escaped from jail,” he said.

Though we assume he’s kidding, he said he mimicked the famous producer’s Wall of Sound technique for the album’s title track. 

 “It’s an uptempo shuffle,” Richard explained. “The song turned out to be one of my favorite tracks on the record.”

The video for “Christmas Spirit” features some of Marx’s close friends including Chris Daughtry, Olivia Newton-John and Hugh Jackman, looking just like Wolverine. Can you name all the celebs lip synching in the clip?

Listen to the rest of the interview with Richard here.

- Shannon Carlin, CBS Local

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