Before “Christmas in Kansas City”: The Forgotten Plaza Lights Holiday Song
Sarah Biegelsen
December 1, 2025
It’s the holiday season in Kansas City, which means the Country Club Plaza lights are on, the Mayor’s Christmas Tree is lit, and homes across the metro are decked out in festive decorations. If you’ve lived in Kansas City long enough, you may have even heard the 1985 song "Christmas in Kansas City" by Brad Millison played on local radio stations. What you may not know is that this wasn’t the first Kansas City-themed Christmas song.
In 1951, local musician, amateur songwriter, and sound engineer, Roger C. Webb, composed a song titled "Plaza Lights" about the twinkling illuminations that have outlined the Country Club Plaza’s Spanish architecture officially since 1930.
Webb, born and raised in Iowa, moved to Kansas City in his early twenties to study at the Midland Radio and Television School. While serving in the army in World War II, Webb provided special technical support for USO entertainment programs. After the war, he became a recording engineer while also composing and performing music for advertising jingles.
By the early 1950s, the Plaza Lights became internationally admired, even being featured in "Life" magazine in 1949. Since its inception, the Plaza Lights have been a beloved tradition that not only marks the city’s holiday season but is also one of the oldest continuous traditions in Kansas City.
Though Webb was not originally from Kansas City, he believed that his adopted town deserved to have songs immortalizing its local traditions. Besides the "Plaza Lights" song, Webb also wrote a song in 1955 titled "Kansas City A’s," about the former Kansas City Athletics major league baseball team.
The "Plaza Lights" sheet music was designed and distributed by Townsend Printers and Lithographers and the song recorded under Vic Damon’s label in 1951 and 1952.
Lyrics to the song include lines such as "The people gather from miles around/To see the beauty of the lovely Plaza town." The song was arranged by Edward Stroh of the local Philharmonic Orchestra and was initially recorded by St. Joseph, Missouri vocalist Kay Fuller with instrumental backing by Frank Kneisel’s Orchestra. A year later, popular local singer Kenny Field also recorded the song and 450 copies were pressed. Unfortunately, neither recording was ever distributed through a major firm.
The song may have had a short radio airplay in 1951 and 1952 but didn’t have lasting appeal, likely because it first aired near the end of 1951’s holiday season after Christmas. Local listeners and critics at the time described the song as catchy and its sheet music cover (featuring the Plaza’s lights and illustrated Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Rudolph) as attractive.
Over 20 years later, Webb teamed with renowned big band-era singer Connie Haines to record the song while she was residing briefly in Kansas City. However, there is no evidence that Haines’ cover was ever recorded. The song has been widely forgotten ever since.
"Plaza Lights" may not have taken off as a popular hit but it shows that locals have always proudly connected the holiday season and Kansas City together.
Sarah Biegelsen
December 1, 2025
It’s the holiday season in Kansas City, which means the Country Club Plaza lights are on, the Mayor’s Christmas Tree is lit, and homes across the metro are decked out in festive decorations. If you’ve lived in Kansas City long enough, you may have even heard the 1985 song "Christmas in Kansas City" by Brad Millison played on local radio stations. What you may not know is that this wasn’t the first Kansas City-themed Christmas song.
In 1951, local musician, amateur songwriter, and sound engineer, Roger C. Webb, composed a song titled "Plaza Lights" about the twinkling illuminations that have outlined the Country Club Plaza’s Spanish architecture officially since 1930.
Webb, born and raised in Iowa, moved to Kansas City in his early twenties to study at the Midland Radio and Television School. While serving in the army in World War II, Webb provided special technical support for USO entertainment programs. After the war, he became a recording engineer while also composing and performing music for advertising jingles.
By the early 1950s, the Plaza Lights became internationally admired, even being featured in "Life" magazine in 1949. Since its inception, the Plaza Lights have been a beloved tradition that not only marks the city’s holiday season but is also one of the oldest continuous traditions in Kansas City.
Though Webb was not originally from Kansas City, he believed that his adopted town deserved to have songs immortalizing its local traditions. Besides the "Plaza Lights" song, Webb also wrote a song in 1955 titled "Kansas City A’s," about the former Kansas City Athletics major league baseball team.
The "Plaza Lights" sheet music was designed and distributed by Townsend Printers and Lithographers and the song recorded under Vic Damon’s label in 1951 and 1952.
Lyrics to the song include lines such as "The people gather from miles around/To see the beauty of the lovely Plaza town." The song was arranged by Edward Stroh of the local Philharmonic Orchestra and was initially recorded by St. Joseph, Missouri vocalist Kay Fuller with instrumental backing by Frank Kneisel’s Orchestra. A year later, popular local singer Kenny Field also recorded the song and 450 copies were pressed. Unfortunately, neither recording was ever distributed through a major firm.
The song may have had a short radio airplay in 1951 and 1952 but didn’t have lasting appeal, likely because it first aired near the end of 1951’s holiday season after Christmas. Local listeners and critics at the time described the song as catchy and its sheet music cover (featuring the Plaza’s lights and illustrated Christmas characters like Santa Claus and Rudolph) as attractive.
Over 20 years later, Webb teamed with renowned big band-era singer Connie Haines to record the song while she was residing briefly in Kansas City. However, there is no evidence that Haines’ cover was ever recorded. The song has been widely forgotten ever since.
"Plaza Lights" may not have taken off as a popular hit but it shows that locals have always proudly connected the holiday season and Kansas City together.
Ask us your questions about Kansas City's history, culture, quirks
Help the The Star and the Kansas City Public Library report on our city's most interesting history and quirks by telling us what you're curious about. Have you been wondering how something in the metro came to be, or the backstory of a KC landmark? Let us know in the form below, and we may look into it. We'll never publish your name or any personal details without following up and getting your permission first.
Ask us your questions about Kansas City's history, culture, quirks
Help the The Star and the Kansas City Public Library report on our city's most interesting history and quirks by telling us what you're curious about. Have you been wondering how something in the metro came to be, or the backstory of a KC landmark? Let us know in the form below, and we may look into it. We'll never publish your name or any personal details without following up and getting your permission first.