Good News is the title of the first album of Christmas music

Christmas music

Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...

 released by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Kathy Mattea

Kathy Mattea

Kathleen Alice "Kathy" Mattea is an American country music and bluegrass performer who often brings folk, Celtic and traditional country sounds to her music. Active since 1983 as a recording artist, she has recorded seventeen albums and has charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot...

. It was released in late 1993 on Mercury Records

Mercury Records

Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

. "Mary, Did You Know?" and "What a Wonderful Beginning" were both covered by Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers

Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...

 (the former, as a duet with Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Judd

Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...

) on his 1996 Christmas album The Gift

The Gift (Kenny Rogers album)

The Gift is a 1996 holiday album by country music superstar Kenny Rogers.This fourth holiday album brought Rogers back to the charts, both with the album itself , but also with a single .The Gift was originally released...

. "Brightest and Best" is the only traditional song covered here.

Track listing

1. "What a Wonderful Beginning" (Austin Cunningham, Allen Shamblin
   Allen Shamblin
   Allen Shamblin is a country music songwriter who was born in Tennessee, and was brought up in Texas.After graduating from Sam Houston State University he worked in Austin as a real estate appraiser. In 1987, he quit his job and moved to Nashville to pursue a career as a song writer. He supported...
   
   ) – 3:54
2. "There's a New Kid in Town" (Don Cook
   Don Cook
   Don Kirby Cook is an American record producer and songwriter whose work is mainly in the field of country music. Artists who recorded Cook's material include Barbara Mandrell, John Conlee, Mark Collie, Wade Hayes and Brooks & Dunn...
   
   , Curly Putman
   Curly Putman
   Claude "Curly" Putman, Jr. is an American songwriter, based in Nashville. His biggest success was "Green, Green Grass of Home" , which was covered by Elvis Presley, Johnny Darrell, Gram Parsons, Joan Baez, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Roberto Leal, Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Joe Tex, Nana...
   
   , Keith Whitley
   Keith Whitley
   Jackie Keith Whitley , known professionally as Keith Whitley, was an American country music singer. Whitley's brief career in mainstream country music lasted from 1984 until his death in 1989, but he continues to influence an entire generation of singers and songwriters...
   
   ) – 3:58
3. "Brightest and Best (Star of the East)" (Traditional, arr. by Kathy Mattea, Brent Maher) – 3:30
4. "Mary, Did You Know?
   Mary, Did You Know?
   "Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song and Marian hymn with lyrics written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene.-Background:Mark Lowry wrote the words in 1984 "when his pastor asked him to write the program for the living Christmas tree choir presentation. The music was written by...
   
   " (Buddy Greene, Mark Lowry) – 3:17
5. "The Star" (Pete McCann) – 3:55
6. "Emmanuel" (Kye Fleming, Janis Ian) – 2:59
7. "Somebody Talkin' About Jesus" (Mattea) – 2:19
8. "Nothing but a Child" (Steve Earle
   Steve Earle
   Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
   
   ) – 4:02
9. "Christ Child's Lullaby" (Mattea, Dougie MacLean
   Dougie MacLean
   Dougie MacLean OBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist.His career started with a traditional band, The Tannahill Weavers, in 1976. His solo career started in 1981 and since then he has recorded numerous albums...
   
   ) – 4:21
10. "Good News" (Rob Mathes) – 5:34

Chart performance

Chart (1993)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	51