Heavy is the head that wears the crown — of Christmas, that is. Mariah Carey is learning that lesson as other artists are criticizing her attempt to trademark the phrase “Queen of Christmas.†Darlene Love, known for her hit “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),†which she performed on The Late Show With David Letterman annually, told Carey to “call David or my lawyer!!†in a Facebook post August 15. “David Letterman officially declared me the Queen of Christmas 29 years ago, a year before she released ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ and at 81 years of age I’m NOT changing anything,†Love wrote. “I’ve been in the business for 52 years, have earned it and can still hit those notes!†(Carey herself covered Love’s song on her 1994 album Merry Christmas.)
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Chan, who exclusively performs Christmas music and released an album called The Queen of Christmas last year, made a more formal complaint on August 12, filing a declaration of opposition to the trademark. “I feel very strongly that no one person should hold onto anything around Christmas or monopolize it in the way that Mariah seeks to in perpetuity,†Chan told Variety. “That’s just not the right thing to do. Christmas is for everyone. It’s meant to be shared; it’s not meant to be owned.†A representative for Carey did not return a request for comment — but, as Chan’s filing pointed out, Carey herself disputed her claim to the throne in an interview last year. “To me, Mary is the Queen of Christmas,†she told Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2.