McKinney -- An appreciative audience at McKinney Performing Arts Center reveled in a Christmas concert presented by one of the classic voices in country music today as Grammy Award-winner and Grand Ole Opry member Pam Tillis charmed the crowd with a versatile performance that moved seamlessly from top singles by Tillis to Christmas music and even the Beatles hit, "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."

Tillis has a crystal-clear voice that filled the intimate venue in historic downtown McKinney as she delivered a mix of audience favorites such as "Don't Tell Me What to do," "Spilled Perfume" and "Shake the Sugar Tree" interspersed with Christmas classics and covers.  McKinney Performing Arts Center offered the perfect setting to hear this vocalist that none less than George Jones tapped for backing vocals on "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair," a collaboration that was chosen as Country Music Association's Vocal Event of the Year.

Speaking of wonderful collaborations, Tillis brought along two gifted vocalists in Mary Sue England and Bethany Olds to fill the Historic Courtroom Theater with exceptional three-part harmony.  England also played 12-string guitar and keyboards, while Olds proved to be a crowd-pleaser on fiddle and mandolin.

Selected as Country Music Association's Vocalist of the Year in 1994, Tillis possesses unique vocal qualities reminiscent of a select group -- Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris come to mind.

"I always wanted to be just like Dolly Parton when I grew up," Tillis told the audience in McKinney.  As the joke slowly sunk in and laughter rang out, Tillis smiled and said, "That's not funny!"

Very much at ease with the crowd, Tillis offered a glimpse inside country music that only someone like the daughter of Mel Tillis would be privy to. It turns out that the first person to offer Mel Tillis a job once he got to Nashville was the late, great Minnie Pearl.  Mel was rhythm guitarist and backing vocals in a band that had Roger Miller on fiddle. Mel was self conscious about his stutter and one night Minnie Pearl caught Roger Miller saying "thank you" to an audience that was applauding Mel's vocals.  She pulled Mel aside later and offered a brilliant piece of advice.

"Melvin, if you're gonna be an entertainer, you are going to have to talk to the audience," Minnie Pearl confided to Mel.  "They won't laugh at you -- they'll laugh with you."

And the rest is country music history.