Man Hears Parents' Voices for First Time in Decades After Store Plays Found Recording for Him

A man who brought 78 rpm records to a vinyl store in Laconia, New Hampshire, and asked the staff to play them was overwhelmed when he heard his parents’ voices again for the first time in decades.

The poignant moment was recorded by NH Vintage Vinyl’s owner, Daniel McLaughlin, and shows Fred Clausen listening to a 78 record his parents made while capturing the sound on his phone.

In the background, the voices of his parents, Frederick and Elizabeth Clausen, who died in 1967 and 1991, respectively, can be heard reading bedtime stories and singing.

Speaking to WMUR, Clausen said that he found the records while digging through some family history.

“Even though I wasn’t there, I could picture the area where we were,” he said.

McLaughlin told Storyful that Clausen had come to the shop and asked the staff to play the 78s for him “because it was a speed most current record players don’t have anymore,” he said.

He published the footage to the store’s Facebook page where he wrote, “His mother and father made them in the 1940s. He didn’t have a record player capable of playing 78 speed, and wanted to get a recording of them” with his phone.

“It was the first time he heard his parents’ voices in 40 years … we’re not usually open today, but we’re glad we had our doors open. Cherish the moments with the ones you love,” the caption read. Credit: NH Vintage Vinyl via Storyful

Video transcript

ELIZABETH CLAUSEN: --pretty figure. If you do not like my feet, wait till I grow bigger. Now, would you like me to sing a song?

(SINGING) Sing a song of sixpence.

FREDERICK CLAUSEN: And I'm going to fix Kenny's orange juice. Come on, Kenny, you get up. Do motorcycle now. Come on over here. That's a good boy. Now, let's set up the table. Come on, Ronnie, let's have our breakfast. Eat nicely now. Eat everything. You want some toast and some milk? That's a good boy.

Go out and get Daddy's paper now. Put Daddy's shoes back in the closet. Oh, well, here comes Mother. Finally, we'll get the day started. Now, things will start to pop. So Mother's going to get Daddy's breakfast now. Because Daddy's got to get down and work-- a lot of work to do today.

ELIZABETH CLAUSEN: --pretty figure. If you do not like my feet, wait till I grow bigger. Now, would you like me to sing a song?

(SINGING) Sing a song of sixpence.

FREDERICK CLAUSEN: And I'm going to fix Kenny's orange juice. Come on, Kenny, you get up. Do motorcycle now. Come on over here. That's a good boy. Now, let's set up the table. Come on, Ronnie, let's have our breakfast. Eat nicely now. Eat everything. You want some toast and some milk? That's a good boy.

Go out and get Daddy's paper now. Put Daddy's shoes back in the closet. Oh, well, here comes Mother. Finally, we'll get the day started. Now, things will start to pop. So Mother's going to get Daddy's breakfast now. Because Daddy's got to get down to work-- a lot of work to do today.