Darlene Love is anything but "All Alone on Christmas" this year. In fact, she's surrounded by fans — thanks in part to Mariah Carey!
Months after Carey was blocked from an attempt to trademark the "Queen of Christmas" title following opposition from Love and fellow notable holiday musician Elizabeth Chan, the "All I Want for Christmas Is You" hitmaker praised Love in an Instagram video shared earlier this month.
In the clip, Carey, 52, reflected on recording a cover of Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for her iconic 1994 Merry Christmas album, one of the best-selling holiday music collections of all time.
"I listened to that song every year — like, every year — and it was an homage to Darlene Love, the Queen of Christmas, Darlene Love, that we love!" said Carey. "We live for her. She can have that title forever. Like, we love that song."
Since Carey declared Love as the "Queen of Christmas," the remaining shows of the 81-year-old performer's holiday concert tour have completely sold out, her rep Len Evans confirmed to PEOPLE. (TMZ was first to post the news.)
While the two vocalists haven't personally spoken to each other since the "Queen of Christmas" debacle earlier this year, Love appreciated the kind words from Carey, the rep tells PEOPLE.
In addition to "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," Love is known for festive songs including "All Alone on Christmas" from 1992's Home Alone 2: Lost in New York as well as her renditions of "A Marshmallow world" and "Winter Wonderland."
Back in March 2021, Carey filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with hopes of legally marketing herself as the sole "Queen of Christmas," CBS News reported.
After the bid was made public in July 2022, Chan — who claims she also has ties to the "Queen of Christmas" name, had her attorney file a formal declaration of opposition against Carey's trademark claim.
The following month, Love wrote in a Facebook post, "Is it true that Mariah Carey trademarked 'Queen of Christmas'? What does that mean, that I can't use that title?"
"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," she continued. "I've been in the business for 52 years, have earned it, and can still hit those notes! If Mariah has a problem call David or my lawyer!!"
On November 15, Chan announced the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board blocked Carey's attempt of owning the exclusive rights to the title, along with her attempts to trademark "Princess Christmas" and "QOC."
"Christmas is a season of giving, not the season of taking, and it is wrong for an individual to attempt to own and monopolize a nickname like Queen of Christmas for the purposes of abject materialism," Chan, who has released a holiday album every year since 2011, wrote in a press statement at the time.
"As an independent artist and small business owner, my life's work is to bring people together for the holiday season, which is how I came to be called the Queen of Christmas," she continued. "I wear that title as a badge of honor and with full knowledge that it will be — and should be — bestowed on others in the future."
