Johnny Gondesen is a 83-year-old grandfather from Texas who got a special Christmas surprise from his thoughtful grandchildren. Johnny never expected his grandkids to make him a gift that goes back to 50 years ago.
The Giving Started in 1965
Johnny Gondesen was never an established singer-songwriter in his heyday, but a musical recording produced in the sixties has always been one of his proudest accomplishments. In 1965, the low-key performer wrote and recorded an original holiday production entitled “Christmas is Here.” Although the track was captured on a 45-RPM vinyl single and distributed among DJs, no radio station was willing to give it any airtime. As a result, the song just sat on the shelves collecting dust for 54 years.
The Local Family Classic Goes Viral
While “Christmas is Here” never received any mainstream recognition, Gondesen still regularly pulled out his guitar to play the song at family gatherings. Grandpa Johnny has always proudly reflected upon his creation, but the regional legend never expected his song to reach actual airwaves. Luckily, his grandkids had other plans. Unbeknownst to Johnny, his brethren had uploaded the song to a variety of official music streaming platforms including Amazon, iTunes, and Spotify. Furthermore, they promoted the track on social media with a simple message: “Help our grandpa feel famous.”
Spreading the Cheer of “Christmas is Here”
The jaunty tune soon garnered widespread online attention, and its cute narrative spread like wildfire. As a result, the song ultimately received play on KRBE, which is Gondesen’s local station. Thus, a lifelong personal dream was fulfilled, because Grandpa Johnny got to hear himself singing on the radio after giving up this hope years ago. Local news channels even got in touch with the family to cover their patriarch’s touching tribute to the season.
Proof We Can All Make Miracles Happen
This heartwarming story should serve as a reminder to all of us that we can do wonderful things for our family at this time of year, and seasonal magic doesn’t have to carry a monetary expense. With a little innovation and outreach, you might be able to make someone’s Christmas a whole lot merrier. Let’s all try to have a holiday with the same amount of awe and wonder that Gondesen’s clan experienced in 2019.
What did you think about this heartwarming story? Do you know someone who never got the chance to fulfill their lifelong dream? Who knows, maybe you can help make it come true… Be sure to pass this article along to others to make their Christmas a little merrier!
