Rainey Haynes

Rainey Haynes, also known simply as Rainey, was born August 16, 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee. She showed an interest in singing, songwriting, and performing at a very early age, and had taught herself to play guitar by age 13. At 18, she moved to New Orleans, where she formed a rock band. By her early 20s, she was touring the South with her band; she also toured Europe and the Near East to entertain U.S. troops at this time. Returning to the U.S., she continued to travel, by now from coast to coast, performing with her band. In Nashville she recorded an album for MCA Records produced by Ron Chancy, and she was nominated "Most Promising New Artist of the Year" by the Country Music Association.

In 1986 she moved to Los Angeles, where she played at numerous Southern California music venues with a new version of her band, which over a period of time included Steve Farris, Bob Birch (former bass player for Elton John), Rocket Ritchotte (former guitarist for David Lee Roth), Kenny Rarrick (former keyboard player for Melissa Manchester), and Michael Dorian (former keyboard player for Terence Trent D'Arby). She studied acting and dance at the National Academy of Performing Arts in Hollywood, and tried to break into films, once being considered for a role opposite Michael J. Fox in the 1987 film, "Light of Day” (the role went to Joan Jett). She also studied video production with director Raymond Nassau (a former cinematographer for Cecil B. DeMille).

Meanwhile she was writing and performing songs that were included in film and TV soundtracks. These included "Old Enough To Rock and Roll," which she wrote and performed for the film "Iron Eagle" (the film also included Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It”); and "I Can Fly" and “Technique,” two songs that she performed for the Sarah Jessica Parker film "Girls Just Want To Have Fun."

In 1987 Rainey toured France for six months as backup vocalist and duet singer for French superstar Johnny Hallyday. The following year, she appeared on the T.V. show "Star Search" and won Best Female Vocalist three times.

In the early 1990s she and her partner, Rob, had moved to an island north of Seattle, where they bought a farm in rural Washington state. The farm had the remnants of a sign for which the upper plank was missing and the lower said, "and Holly Farm." They named the place And Holly Farm, and built a house and recording studio. By 1992 Rainey had completed work on a rock musical play called "Hunchback" (based on Victor Hugo’s novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"). The play was produced in 1994 at the Playhouse Theater in Seattle, with Rainey as producer, director, and lead actor. A larger production was staged for five weeks in 1998 at Seattle’s King Cat Theater.

Throughout the 1990s and beyond, she performed in local Seattle night-spots, focusing largely on jazz. In the early 2000s, she became involved in organizing benefit concerts for local Seattle charities. Today she continues to write music, which she records in this studio, and to dabble in the visual arts media of stone sculpting and oil painting. She also writes fiction and poetry.

References

* Reference: Phllip Hardy's music review of Rainey at the music online e-zine site
* Reference: Biography and Rainey's rating in the top ten best sellers at the music file-sharing site
*Reference: writer Ann Medlock's poem "Clergy" in her book "Arias Riffs and Whispers" pays tribute to Rainey as she appeared in a concert in the opening stanza
* Reference: Artist's web site,

External links

* [http://www.raineyonline.com Artist's web site]