On Wednesday, October 15, the cast of Hallmark‘s “A Grand Ole Opry Christmas” took over Nashville’s Opry Plaza. The Hallmark Holiday Takeover event was a joyful experience, full of photo opportunities and festive moments.
But mixed in with all the laughter and merriment were genuine feelings of thankfulness and love from many members of the cast. One such moment was when Hallmark star Nikki DeLoach explained why being at the Grand Ole Opry meant “So much” to her. Thankfully, her emotional words were captured on video so that they could be shared with others.
How the Grand Ole Opry Became One of Nikki DeLoach’s Most Meaningful Films
“I grew up in the south. I knew I wanted to be a performer when I was 4 years old,” Nikki told the Hallmark Holiday Takeover audience. “My dad and I, music was our love language. We started listening to ‘A Grand Ole Opry: A Radio Show’ when I was a little girl. And he would drive me to and from my music lessons, and we would listen to Vince Gill and Pam Tillis: all the greats. And he would say to me, ‘One day, if you work hard enough, you can be up on that stage.’ And I would say, ‘Dad, that’s for Dolly [Parton], that’s for Martina McBride. That’s never gonna happen.'”
“Well, one of the places I always wanted to go to with my dad, we were going to go together, was the ‘Grand Ole Opry.’ He got sick and passed away before we were able to go. So, the fact that I got to come here, and film a movie inside these walls, and stand on that stage,” Nikki said, tearing up. “It was just one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. And so, I hope you guys feel that when you watch the movie.”
Nikki DeLoach Talks About Creating a New Word for ‘Grateful’
Nikki has previously spoken about her father and the difficulties of being a caregiver. She and fellow Hallmark star Ashley Williams have both lost parents to dementia. The friends started Dance to End ALZ as a way to raise money for Alzheimer’s and dementia research.
“I lost my Papa and my father to this disease, my Papa to vascular dementia and my dad to a rare and aggressive form of dementia called Pick’s Disease. He was 66 years old,” she told Numero Netherlands in 2024. “I want to do whatever I can to prevent others from getting this disease. So a lot of my work in this space has been focused on prevention and funding research.”
After Hallmark posted the video from the Nashville event, she added more of her thoughts to an Instagram story.
“This one’s for you, Dad,” she wrote over the video. “After this experience, I need a new word for grateful. My heart is so incredibly full. Thank you [Hallmark Channel] and [Opry] for this gift that I’ll remember for the rest of my life and beyond.”
“A legacy is not something left for you, but left in you” I may not have this quote by Father Mike exact, but I LOVE the message! Thank you for sharing. I’ve lost both parents, my husband and one of my precious daughters and miss them terribly. I have a legacy left in me from each that I, too, treasure! Thank you for sharing!