Okay, the singer of O Holy Night has revealed himself. It is a Nashville music producer and arranger, who recorded the song on a dare at the end of a long recording session in the 90′s. So, while he is not a singer per se, he knows music and deliberately tried to recreate the many errors he hears beginning singers make. At first he was non-plussed that it got out; now he sees it as a fulfillment of his calling to lift people’s spirits with his musical talent. More info available from fred mckinnon, the blogger and radio personality who broke the story. Includes audio interview with the singer.

UPDATE: Well, someone has added an alternate possible source in the comments section. So, I feel I must clarify that there is still room for doubt. The person on Fred’s site a) does not have any corroborating witnesses (such as the sound engineer who recorded it) b) has only circumstantial evidence and c) doesn’t offer the ultimate proof that I was hoping for: singing at least PART of the song during the interview. However, his speaking voice, the story of the song’s recording, the timing, his musical background, and his speculation on how the song got out all offer a good enough case that I’m quite happy to go with it. Like so many things in life, you pick the best option with the evidence you have, and revise later if necessary. That’s my story and I’m stickin to it!