Page 166 - Been There… Done That!

Gary Graham
surprise us after their show. For a small town farm girl that was pretty exciting!
We also recorded an album at Audioloft Studio in Macks Creek, Missouri, owned by B.J. Carnahan and his wife. Gary asked me to sing one of my original songs on the album. This was definitely frosting on the cake for me, something I had never done before.
A few years later, after many miles traveled and numerous band member transitions, I moved on. Eventually, I started my own band, Quarter Moon. This ultimately led me to Branson, Missouri, where I worked with numerous shows. I was hired by Charley Pride and worked with him for 10 years at his theater and at The Grand Palace. We toured overseas to England, Ireland and Scotland and performed on several cruise ships.
Gary gave me the platform to learn how to be an entertainer, not just a singer. For this, I will be forever grateful. Debbie also deserves a star of recognition. She stood by him through all the ups and downs of the business. I never once heard her complain or question his decisions. Kinda like the song, “Stand By Your Man,” and she did. To this day, if I ever needed advice about the music business or life choices, I wouldn’t hesitate to call on them. If it hadn’t been for them, I might not have left the Badlands of North Dakota!!!
~ Brenda Franchuk Coin
I met Gary Graham in the summer of 1963 when I was working as a lifeguard in the Missouri State Park system at the Lake of the Ozarks. I ventured into the city of Lake Ozark one day and ran into Gary. As we talked back and forth, we found out that we both had an interest in playing music. I played the guitar and Gary played guitar,
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