The Jonas family takes the holidays very seriously, and now Papa Jonas hopes to create more holiday memories for his loved ones with his debut Christmas EP.
Kevin Jonas Sr., who is the father of music superstars the Jonas Brothers, has released a new series of songs titled Ready Set Glow – holiday collection keeping in mind his five grandchildren.
“The grandchildren love it and it makes us very happy,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively about the project on which the music manager and businessman collaborated with his wife Denise. “That was the reason for the Christmas project right there.”
Kevin Jonas, Danielle Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas Sr., Denise Jonas, Nick Jonas, Frankie Jonas, Alena Rose Jonas and Valentina Jonas 2022.
Denise Truscello/Getty
The seven-song project was originally intended as a surprise gift for Denise after she spent nearly 35 years trying to convince him to make a Christmas album. “We had a period in which we took the boys, our sons, and then there was a break,” explains his decision to finally make the EP happen.
“We both had some medical issues that we had to deal with and we restarted our entertainment company about four years ago. We hired some people and that group of people said, ‘You should really do this.’ And I said, ‘Yes, my wife, she’s been saying that for years.’ They said, ‘Let’s go surprise her.’ So we started working on it as a surprise.”
However, the surprise was spoiled during a phone call in the car, which was actually an exciting opportunity. “He did a conference call with that person on the phone and she told me everything,” Denise recalls, adding Kevin: “It was a surprise, but it gave me the opportunity to ask Denise to join me on one of the songs, which made up for it.”
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The couple, who recently celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary, collaborated on the EP’s title track, and despite Denise’s initial hesitation, her husband’s reassurance gave her the confidence to lend her voice.
“I resisted it,” she admits. “I just didn’t know how I could measure up to his voice and his ability, but I did and I’m happy with how it turned out.”
“It’s wonderful,” Kevin exclaims. “My feeling is that it’s the best song on the record and the last time we recorded something together was probably 40 years ago. She has a beautiful voice.”
Denise’s rare musical appearance surprised no one more than Nick and Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ 2-year-old granddaughter, Malta. “Every time that part of the song comes on, she just leans forward and just stares,” laughs Kevin, and Denise adds, “I think she’s totally confused, but she sings every word.”
“We had to play it 11 times in a row for her. She loved it,” notes Kevin.
The album is a Jonas family affair, with the couple’s youngest son Franklin providing backing vocals on “ChrisMess” and “Joy to the World (A Christmas Prayer),” which Kevin wrote with his son Nick when he was a child.
The couple didn’t tell their children they were working on the project and were nervous to let them play with the final product.
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“They’re so good at everything they do and there’s always something like, ‘Okay, are you going to think Dad is hockey,'” Denise admits. “But they were so kind and so accepting of it.”
“The reaction was so positive that we played it slowly, one song at a time—and carefully, because it really wasn’t meant to be anything but a gift,” says Kevin. “They’re so supportive, but for me, watching my grandchildren dance to the song … it makes my heart soar.”
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Kevin and Denise Jonas with their sons Kevin, Joe, Nick and Franklin.
Courtesy of Kevin Sr. and Denise Jonas
The couple calls the holidays a “celebratory” time for their family filled with new and old traditions. They recall always pulling out Christmas ornaments as they decorated their family tree, explaining the origin story of each one. Denise recalls the annual event that hospitalized their son Joe when he was a child.
“We would prepare a fish dinner for Christmas Eve, and I would buy shrimp that needed to be peeled and cooked,” says Denise. “I did that on purpose, so that everyone would sit around the table with me in the kitchen, removing shells while I did other things. It was always fun and a laugh, but when Joe was about eight years old, his hands twitched and became red and swollen. , and then it got on his face and he took Joe to the hospital, where he had to stay for several hours because he developed an allergy to shellfish.”
It’s similar memories that make the Jonases laugh, noting that their growing family and busy schedules have made it difficult to get everyone together for the holidays in recent years. But even if they can’t be together on December 25th, they always find a day for “Jonas Family Christmas.”
“My wife always makes Christmas a memory,” quips Kevin about his wife. “If we were in a hotel in New York, she would go find a little Christmas tree and put it on the table and make sure the presents were there and that the food that was special to our family was always available.”
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Kevin, Nick, Franklin and Joe Jonas.
Courtesy of Kevin Sr. and Denise Jonas
Now they feel immense pride watching their grown sons share the joyous season with their own children. “They love those girls and they all have time for special memories,” Kevin says, and Denise exclaims, “watching them become parents at Christmas and watching them do the things we’ve always done, we notice that and it gives you a warm feeling from within!”
Denise also points out how happy she is to see her daughters-in-law get involved every year, regularly asking for family holiday recipes for meals and cookies to make with their own children.
“Everyone says we did a great job raising those boys, and we had a hand in that, but they chose to be really wonderful adults and people, so it’s not all on us,” she says. “They are amazing.”
“I learn from them,” adds Kevin. “We thanked our children for reminding us to celebrate the moments and for helping us to continue developing. It’s like a gift to us.”
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Source: HIS Education