Tara Thompson Revisits Her Favorite Christmas Memory
This memory is so, so special!
Tara Thompson is a big fan of Christmas. The Tennessee-born singer, who has released holiday-themed songs “Willie Nelson Tickets” and “Christmas Eve” this year, had her house decked out with holiday cheer as early as October. She recently chatted with Sounds Like Nashville about her favorite Christmas memory growing up.
“When I was a kid, we were big on Santa Claus,” she says in an exclusive interview. “We slept under our kitchen table and made a tent out of blankets. I’m one of four siblings, so we would stay up all night, or we would think we stayed up all night, waiting on Santa.
“One year in particular, my grandpa dressed up as Santa Claus,” she continues. “And he’s a chubby man, and literally did the whole beard, and we have all of this on camera. I think I’m four years old, and I will never forget that as long as I live because I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, that is Santa Claus.’ And we’re like freaking out.”
The magic of meeting Santa when he came to her house that Christmas was so important to Thompson that it stuck with her for many years.
“It wasn’t until literally — this is so embarrassing, I can’t believe I’m admitting this — it wasn’t until seventh grade that I was like, ‘Wait. Santa Claus is not real?’” Thompson says. “I was like, ‘I don’t know why none of my friends believe in Santa because I saw him.’ But looking back at the home video, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, it’s Grandpa.’”
The memory will especially go down in history as one of her most important Christmas memories now that her grandfather has passed away.
“My grandpa’s no longer with us and he was my biggest fan,” Thompson explains. “Me out of all the kids, he was like, ‘That one is going to be an entertainer one day. I know it. I can’t wait to see it.’ And he didn’t get to see it, so for that reason I think I just love Christmas.”
This Christmas, Thompson says she’ll be visiting her fiancé in New Orleans, who will be working there as a stage manager for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour. The couple will then celebrate Christmas at home in January when he gets home.
