He’s been a Big Easy holiday staple for over three decades now, but some health challenges threatened to derail one of NOLA’s unique Christmas traditions: the annual return of Benny Grunch & the Bunch.
“I had a stroke at the end of June,” Grunch told WYES. “Who knows why? I don’t drink. I don’t smoke… I’ve never had a cup of coffee in my life. So end of June, I said I’m not going to do anything until after Mardi Gras, and I’m sticking to that.”
But while Grunch won’t be making his usual appearances to perform his distinctly local Christmas tunes, that doesn’t mean the New Orleans holiday season will be totally Grunchless.
Grunch has teamed with local retail establishment Fleurty Girl to release some new officially-licensed Grunch gear, including some Christmas tree décor that immortalizes his most famous composition, “The 12 Yats of Christmas.”
“We have a whole set of '12 Yats' ornaments that are so well done,” Grunch said. “Really well done.”
And of course, there’s his most recent holiday set “The 12 Yats of Christmas: Thoity Year Anniversary,” featuring Grunch’s latest composition, “K&B Stayed Open Christmas!”
The album is available on CD at Grunch’s website BennyGrunch.net and at a host of local retail outlets including Barnes & Noble and Fleurty Girl.
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