They performed on the “Gong Show” and won. They sang at the Hollywood Bowl. They even appeared on “The Big Break” with Natalie Cole. But after all the years of performing together, the Heffners’ family singing group had never put out an album, until now.Jody Heffner, a local realtor in Falcon, and his three sisters, Kristine Heffner, Linda Heffner and Ave Maria Romine, had been singing with their family as long as they could remember. They started singing in the church choir while living in Wisconsin. The siblings attended school at the church as well and were asked to perform daily at Mass, and especially at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The Heffners’ songs were heavily centered on Christmas and all the traditions that go along with it. They also caroled throughout their neighborhood every year, earning money for their impromptu performances.Eventually, the Heffners made their way to California to actively pursue a singing career, but they struggled to break into the mainstream music industry. They had many guest appearances over the years but never managed to sign with a label and put out an album. After enduring the loss of their brother, Tommy; the group dismantled, and the siblings went their own ways to pursue other career choices.”I got into real estate at that point because I realized I was 30-something years old and had nothing to show for it career wise,” Jody Heffner said. “We were taught not to go through life wishing you had done this or that.”The Heffner brother and sisters don’t have to go through life wishing they would have made an album.Two years ago, Gloria Heffner, the group’s mother, suggested the siblings get back to their roots and put together a Christmas album. “Christmas (music) meant something to us more than any other type of music,” Kristine Heffner said. “We finally listened to our mom and thought about how we could actually put together a Christmas album.” They relied on the help of friends they had made while perfecting their sound in California to arrange, produce and compose the songs.In keeping with their “family Christmas portrait” theme, the Heffners also recruited help from other relatives to round out the album. At the age of 82, mom Gloria is a featured vocalist, and their aunt, Marlene Linzmeyer, a concert pianist, lent her musical talent on two tracks as well.For more information or to purchase the Heffners’ CD, visit www.heffnerchristmas.com.
