> At a Glance
> – Utah sisters Alli Maxfield and Kait Bywater pressed a custom vinyl featuring the only known recording of their late grandmother Judy singing
> – The B-side holds Judy’s favorite songs her eight children grew up hearing
> – A TikTok reveal topped 290,000 views and hundreds of tearful comments
> – Why it matters: A single keepsake turned a distant memory into a tangible moment the whole family could share
Two months before Christmas, Alli Maxfield got a call from her sister Kait Bywater pitching the ultimate gift for their dad: a vinyl record that would let him hear his late mother’s voice again.
Designing the Record
The sisters split duties-Bywater illustrated the front sleeve, Maxfield designed the back, and both curated the track list. They edited a noisy voice-memo of Judy singing in church, then stitched in recordings of every sibling and their mom saying “I love you.”
- Side A: Judy’s cleaned-up vocals plus family messages
- Side B: Her favorite tracks, including The Sound of Music show-stopper and beloved church hymns
- Production partner: Salt Lake City’s World of Sound pressed the LP
The finished disc arrived in a white envelope marked “Dad.”
Christmas Morning Reaction
Maxfield placed a new record player-bow on top-in her dad’s office. When the needle dropped, Judy’s voice filled the room and the family piled in to listen.
Maxfield recalls:
> “He was transported back to a time when his mom was alive. It was like she was there with us for a few minutes.”
Her mom and seven siblings circled the player, many hearing their grandmother for the first time.
Viral Aftermath
Maxfield posted the tearful moment to TikTok, where it climbed past 290,000 views in days.
Commenters wrote:
> “My mom died before my children will meet her… this gives me hope her memory will live through them.”
> “He’s no longer a grown man with kids-he’s a little boy cherishing his mama’s tender voice.”
Key Takeaways
- One low-quality voice memo became a lifetime keepsake with simple audio editing
- Collaborative design let each sibling contribute art or audio
- The gift shifted family focus from “stuff” to shared memories
Maxfield hopes the story nudges others to give meaning, not merchandise, this holiday season.
