(Editor’s Note: The following article appeared in the June 2002 edition of GTR Newspapers of Tulsa. Terrell Lester, an Oklahoma journalist for 38 years, also is a disc jockey who plays Classic Country music on KRSC 91.3 FM, Claremore, Oklahoma, every Saturday, from 8 a.m. until noon.)

By Terrell Lester
GTR Newspapers

It was the gift that keeps on giving. Peggy Rains never will forget the 27th anniversary gift from her husband, Ken, in the spring of 1998.

It continues to be a source of joy and happiness.

And not just for Peggy. But for thousands and thousands of country music fans worldwide. It was an unusual gift. Even by Ken Rains’ standards. In the past, he chose cars and vacations and jewelry. In 1998, he gave his wife the gift of recording time in a Nashville studio. Peggy Rains was not a professional singer. She sang for family gatherings and charitable functions in her hometown of Pryor.That was the extent of her singing career. And that, of course, is using the term “career” in its loosest sense. She could sing, though. And she had long harbored dreams of singing on stage. But those dreams were just that: dreams. As a 40-something housewife and mother of two grown children, singing on stage, or in a Nashville studio with honest-to-goodness Nashville musicians, was nothing short of sheer folly.Yet it was a dream that Ken dreamed of fulfilling. In 1998, Ken, a dentist in Pryor, took his wife’s dream to talent agent Ray Bingham. Together, they booked a week of studio time in Nashville with the respected producer Joe Bob Barnhill. Upon completion of the negotiations, Ken informed Peggy. “Happy anniversary,” he said. “This will be your dream come true.” At first, Peggy declined to accept the trip to Nashville. Even at second thought, she declined. Ken’s biggest challenge was in convincing Peggy that she should rehearse a few songs and then head into the studio. A few songs compiled on a compact disc would be wonderful presents for family members and friends, Ken said. There was no reason to expect more.Until after the recording session, that is. Backed up with what Bingham calls an “A-list” of Nashville studio musicians and the masterful touch of Barnhill, Peggy Rains lived out a dream for five days in Music City, USA. When the project was completed and delivered to Ken and Peggy, it was even more than they could have dreamed was possible. Entitled “It’s a Good Day,” and featuring that Peggy Lee standard, the CD was a professionally produced, high-quality work. Soon, the CD found its way to radio stations in Northeast Oklahoma, thanks to the personality and persistence of Bingham. Eventually, Peggy was re An international distributor picked up the independently produced CD. In less than a year, it was climbing the charts in European and Canadian markets. Favorable, even glowing, reviews were surfacing in Greenland and Great Britain.ceiving airplay in other parts of the United States. Peggy Rains, the housewife from Pryor, saw her name on charts alongside the likes of George Strait and Garth Brooks.Radio stations in Spain and Germany were calling for interviews. The album project that was meant to be a Christmas stocking stuffer was suddenly an international success. Peggy began making public appearances in Oklahoma.Within a year, her husband and Bingham were making plans for a second album.She returned to Nashville and teamed up with Barnhill for another album. Tulsa legend Billy Parker joined Peggy for two duets. “Living the Dream,” released in October 1999, turned out to be Peggy’s second album, and an even bigger hit.And Peggy grew right along with it. Her carbonated personality bubbled out into every song, especially the Red Steagall-penned number “Till There’s Not a Cow in Texas” and the duet “Nobody’s Business” with Parker. Bingham landed her some plum gigs, such as the opening act for country music icons Ray Price. He complemented her singing talent with such supporting bands as Stonehorse and Rodney Lay and the Wild West.Like the album’s title suggests, Peggy Rains was, indeed, living the dream. The success of the album and the emergence of her talent came together in 2000 when she was presented the Will Rogers Award for Western Swing Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. She was nominated, too, for Western Swing Song of the Year for “After the Fact,” a number she wrote with Barnhill that rose to the top of some international charts.Before long, Peggy had captured the eye, and the ear, of country music singer-songwriter David Frizzell. He brought the auburn-haired beauty aboard as his singing partner and one of their first appearances was in Las Vegas, at the famed Tropicana. They recorded an album that was released in the fall of 2000 and their appearance schedule has taken them from Nashville to Texas. Peggy has shared the stage with such luminaries as Hank Thompson, George Jones, The Texas Playboys, Charley Pride, Gene Watson, and Bill Anderson. In April, she released her third solo album, “Swing Time.” Again, she was teamed with Barnhill in Nashville, and the result is impressive. A tune written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon has been given a country flavoring and has such promise that it has been released to radio stations on a compilation album with singles from more noted artists.Early feedback is that Peggy’s rendition is a hit. And it all started with an anniversary gift four years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. “We never dreamed that we would take off like this,” Peggy said, flashing the smile that has become her trademark. “We’ve just been blessed with a lot of good opportunities. “I don’t know why. I sure hope that we’re fulfilling whatever purpose we’re supposed to fulfill.” If that purpose is to entertain, Peggy Rains is fulfilling it. She has an engaging and vivacious stage presence wrapped around a terrific voice.She is humble and sincere, unaffected by the spotlight. She deflects all efforts at praise, funneling such considerations in the direction of Bingham and Barnhill.

“Joe Bob took me out of my comfort zone and made me do things I didn’t think I could do,” she said. “As far as the vocals go, my range has improved tremendously. “Being a low-voiced lady, you’re so much more comfortable just kind of sitting back and getting those low tones, and you think, well, this sounds good. But, you know, it also sounds kind of lazy. So, Joe Bob makes me stretch and puts me in a range that rings more.” Her voice rings true on the “Swing Time” CD. And her celebrity grows with each performance. “The fortunate thing about achieving this later in life is that you’ve kind of got your head on straight,” she said with a smile. “If I were younger, I probably wouldn’t realize what a thrill it is to talk to (songwriter) Cindy Walker over the telephone, or be invited to Hank Thompson’s house to sit and listen to he and Red Steagall pick the guitar in a private session. “I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities. I feel I’ve been blessed. I really do.”And it all started with an anniversary gift. A gift that has kept on giving.